WORCESTER —  Six years ago, abandoned vehicles littered the city's landscape like discarded fast-food wrappers.

It wasn't a problem confined to any particular neighborhood, but rather one that infiltrated many parts of the city. Not only were the abandoned vehicles an eyesore, but they created various public safety problems as well.

' In response to concerns raised by many neighborhood leaders, and at the urging of the City Council, the city implemented a program in 2003 to get those vehicles off the streets.

Since the inception of the Abandoned Vehicle Removal Program, 7,786 abandoned vehicles have been removed — 4,857 (62 percent) moved by the owner and 2,929 (38 percent) towed by the city. The city has made a profit of $325,817 in the process.

More importantly, the number of vehicles left abandoned on city streets has decreased dramatically in recent years, according to city officials.

In the first year of the program, 2,428 abandoned vehicles were tagged for removal, compared to only 403 for the fiscal year that ended June 30.

Also, the percentage of abandoned vehicles that have had to be towed, instead of being moved by their owners, has dropped to just 21 percent, compared to 45 percent during the early years of the program.

"There's been a definite change in the pattern," Robert L. Moylan Jr., commissioner of public works and parks, recently told the City Council. "There's been a remarkable decrease in the number of abandoned vehicles we get calls on, and that was something we hoped for when this program was first conceived.

"There's no question we've succeeded in getting the word out about this program, and the numbers reflect its effectiveness in eliminating the unacceptable behavior of leaving unwanted vehicles on the streets of our city," he said.

The city's Abandoned Vehicle Removal Program marked its sixth anniversary April 7.

Former Mayor Timothy P. Murray and District 4 City Councilor Barbara G. Haller were the driving forces in getting the program off the ground, after a winter in which the large number of abandoned vehicles on the streets made it difficult for snowplow operators to clear roads.

"There was a time when you could not find a street in District 4 without an abandoned vehicle on it," Ms. Haller said. "But that is no longer the case. This is one of those programs that has definitely exceeded our expectations."

When a vehicle is identified as being abandoned, it is "green tagged" by the city. That lets the vehicle's owner know that unless the vehicle is removed within 72 hours, the city's towing contractor will remove it.

"Those who choose to tempt fate and leave their unwanted vehicles on the street are well-aware that the appearance of a green sticker on their driver-side window signifies that three days later a tow truck will be on site to tow the vehicle away," Mr. Moylan said.

City Manager Michael V. O'Brien said equally as persuasive is the power of the state Registry of Motor Vehicles to "mark" the owners of abandoned vehicles who default on their fine payment to the city.

That mark prevents them from conducting business at the registry, such as renewing their driver's license or vehicle registration, until the fine is paid.

"Our parking administration staff in the treasurer's office has worked tirelessly in their pursuit of those abandoned vehicle offenders who have failed to pay their fine to the city," Mr. O'Brien said.

The fine for abandoning a vehicle on a city street is now $400. Since the inception of the program, the city has collected nearly $422,910 in fines and fees, according to Mr. Moylan.

In addition, the city has received payments from Standard Auto Wrecking, its towing contractor for the program, totaling $31,744.

Under its contract with the towing contractor, the city receives $101 for every vehicle towed and stored for 30 days. After 30 days, the vehicle becomes the tow operator's to dispose of. When the program was originally launched, the city had to pay the tow operator $39.99 for each tow; the contract was eventually changed in 2006.

With the program having generated $454,654 in revenue in six years, that has been offset by $128,837 in operational costs, netting the city a profit of about $325,000.

District 3 Councilor Paul P. Clancy Jr., chairman of the council's Public Works Committee, which oversees the abandoned vehicle removal program, said many parts of the city that had been plagued by abandoned vehicles are "100 percent" better than they were six years ago.

"This program has made a difference in improving the quality of life in our city," Mr. Clancy said. "The difference can be seen in just about every one of our neighborhoods. This has been a model program."