If you drive the same roads every day, it’s easy to stop noticing the things that have slowly gotten worse. That’s exactly what one Palm Desert resident says is happening with badly faded highway signs around the Washington Street interchange on Interstate 10.
The signs have now sparked a bigger conversation on the Roggin Report: Why does it sometimes take a resident complaint before an obvious maintenance problem gets attention?
The Washington Street interchange is one of the busiest entrances into Palm Desert and the Eastern Coachella Valley, making clear and visible highway signage especially important for drivers navigating the area.
Paul Scott said the situation is a good example of why residents sometimes have to speak up when something in their community needs attention.
“The squeaky wheel gets the sign,” Scott said.
He argued that there are so many things competing for attention in a community that residents have a role in pointing out problems and making sure they don't simply become part of the scenery.
Drewvy agreed, saying signage should be a priority and residents shouldn't have to complain repeatedly before faded signs are repainted or repaired.
The discussion then expanded beyond the Washington Street signs. Fred Roggin asked the contributors what they drive past every day in the Coachella Valley and wonder why nobody has fixed.
Drewvy's answer was a little harder to repair: people's attitudes.
“People's attitudes,” Drewvy said, joking that it probably isn't something Roggin or the viewers are going to fix. Still, the point was simple: the Valley is a good place to live, and people could stand to be a little nicer to one another.
Scott had a different answer. His ongoing frustration is the sand wall and drifting sand that can cover roads, forcing drivers to take lengthy alternate routes.
For Scott, the faded signs and the sand problem raise the same basic concern: Are the people responsible for designing and maintaining these fixes actually seeing what drivers encounter every day?
Because sometimes, the people who use the roads every day may be the first ones to notice when something isn't working.
Explore: NBCPalmSprings.com, where we are connecting the Valley.
By: NBC Palm Springs
August 14, 2026
