Several RVs camped on the shoulder of a road near the Tesla factory in Fremont moved out Thursday, and one was towed as police enforced the no-parking zone alongside Interstate 880.
The city of Fremont gave notice to the people parked along the 1,700-foot stretch of Kato Road that police would start towing vehicles illegally parked there. One RV owner surrendered their vehicle, and it was towed. Everyone else heeded the warning and moved out on their own.
City crews will clean up the site and put up new "No Parking" signs. They will also place large boulders every 20 feet along the shoulder to discourage parking in the future.
Fremont police spokeswoman Geneva Bosques called the clearing "Phase 1 of the Kato Road project" and said the enforcement was about improving traffic safety in the area.
"I'm not aware of anything with regard to Tesla being upset," Bosques said. "I think this is a highly visible stretch of road, and we have a real public safety concern."
Bosques said the city is working to make sure the homeless people living in their vehicles know about the resources the city has available. And they’re working with businesses like Tesla to get them to stage their transport trucks somewhere safer.
The city will evaluate Phase 1 of the project after its completion and may expand it further if it goes well, Bosques said.
