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How long does a dumped mattress actually sit on an Oakland corner?

The median is nine days. In Sobrante Park it's fourteen. A closed case is not the same as a cleared corner.

Better 311 · Aug 29, 2026 · 6:05 AM PT · 4 min read
Sources: OAKLAND OPEN DATA QUTH-GB8E, DMQT-4G4V · Data checked 2026-08-30 · SAMPLE FIGURES
Chart showing median days to closure for dumping reports by Oakland neighborhood
Graphic: Better 311 analysis of Oakland 311 records. Not a photograph.

A mattress on a corner is easy to notice. The time it takes to disappear is harder to see. In Oakland's 311 record, the median wait for a dumping report to close is 9 days. In Sobrante Park, the sample median is 14.

Oakland's archive contains 389,334 dumping reports. The more useful measure is what happens after a report is filed. In this sample, 68% close with an "abated" code. The other 32% close without one.

9 days
Median time to closure on an Oakland dumping report. Sobrante Park: 14 days. Adams Point: 7.

A closed report is not the same thing as a clean corner. The file keeps a created timestamp and a closed timestamp, so the wait can be measured. The abatement code is the useful distinction. Without it, the record tells us that the case ended, not that the mattress left.

District 6 has the most dumping reports in this sample. It also has the lowest share of cases with an abatement code. District 3 follows on volume. Those are different problems: one is how often the city hears about dumping, and the other is what the record says happened next.

When you report a pile, include the address and a photo. Keep the case number. If the report closes without an abatement code, use that number when you file again. A second report with a first report attached leaves a trail the status label cannot erase.

Sources: Oakland Open Data quth-gb8e and DMQT-4G4V, checked 2026-08-30. We use the created and closed timestamps plus the abatement code in those records. The file records case status; it does not independently prove that a mattress was removed.

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