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Oakland, California has an abandoned car problem. In six months in 2023, people reported nearly 14,000 abandoned cars to the city, and the situation has gotten worse in 2024. The city is running out of space to store vehicles, being forced to stack them on top of each other. others in some cases, and residents are fed up and frustrated with all the cars.
Vehicles litter city streets, blocking access to homes, businesses and even schools, while eating up valuable parking space. ABC 7 News Bay Area took a ride with Oakland council member Noel Gallo, discovering nearly 50 abandoned cars in about 30 minutes, all in various states of disrepair. Many had been stolen and dismantled for parts, while others were victims of smashing and snatching operations.
According to ABC7According to the report, the Oakland Police Department will only respond if a vehicle blocks access to a home. The Oakland Department of Transportation handles all other abandoned vehicles, and removing a car can take time.
The city has so many abandoned cars that it pays nearly $1 million a year in storage fees, with one lot containing more than 2,000 vehicles. However, relief may soon be coming as city council members voted for increased funding to address the problem, hiring multiple towing companies while using California Department of Transportation parking lots. The city is also hiring 15 additional parking enforcement technicians who will be on the streets this year.
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