On paper, San Jose's program for clearing abandoned and broken-down cars off city streets is hitting its goals. Many residents say that isn't what they see on their block.
What the audit found
The City Auditor's Office looked at roughly 10,000 vehicle abatement cases the Department of Transportation handled from July 2025 to March 2026. It found 98% were resolved within two weeks, the city's benchmark, San José Spotlight reported. The program also met its goal of resolving 80% of cases through voluntary compliance after a warning. The audit went to the council's Transportation and Environment Committee on Oct. 5, according to the city's meeting agenda.
Why people are frustrated
Critics say a case can be closed while the car is still sitting there. Owners who get a warning often move the car and then park it back in the same spot within days, officials acknowledged. The city can tow a car that hasn't moved in 72 hours, but enforcement staff can't track vehicles over time. "On one level, the performance is excellent," Mayor Matt Mahan said at Tuesday's council meeting. "On the other hand, we're getting pretty abysmal customer satisfaction ratings and people are frustrated." The city's code enforcement satisfaction score is 38%, according to the most recent figures cited by Spotlight.
What changes
Councilmembers asked transportation staff to explain case outcomes to residents, especially when a case closes with no enforcement. The department will add new response-time benchmarks and plan a better way to track vehicles that get reported again and again. Transportation Director John Ristow accepted the recommendations, and staff are due back to the council in April. Residents can still report vehicles through the city's 311 website and app.