People camping at Wallace Marine Park gather their belongings as city crews city sweep a homeless encampment on March 31. (Ron Cooper/Salem Reporter)
The city of Salem and the state Department of Transportation cleared the Wallace Road Park and Ride this week after officials say people were camping in recreational vehicles at the west Salem facility.
Cole Mullis, ODOT District 3 manager, said several people moved RVs to the state-owned property after city crews swept a homeless encampment at Wallace Marine Park on March 31.
ODOT and city staff issued notices this week that the Park and Ride was not an “authorized safe park location,” according to a city homelessness update Monday.
They worked with Oregon State Police to move people out of the area by Wednesday.
Mullis said he didn’t know how many people were camping at the Park and Ride. “There was quite a few. Seven, eight, maybe,” he said.
He also said ODOT received “dozens of complaints” about the camping.
Prior to the Wallace Marine Park sweep, ODOT posted notice March 17 to vacate 16 other locations along Front, Marion and Center streets in downtown Salem.
Another sweep at Wallace Marine Park is scheduled for Thursday, the city update said.
-Ardeshir Tabrizian
