Press Releases

For Immediate Release

Freeway Service Patrol Expands Coverage Area

New beats set for North Bay, East Bay

CONTACTS:
Danielle Stanislaus, MTC SAFE, 510.817.5737
John Goodwin, MTC SAFE, 510.817.5862

OAKLAND, Calif.,July 23, 2007...The Bay Area’s Freeway Service Patrol (FSP) fleet of roving tow trucks is expanding its territory with the addition of new coverage segments along State Route 4 in Contra Costa County, State Route 29 in Napa and Solano counties, State Route 12 in Napa, Solano and Sonoma counties, and Interstates 80, 680 and 780 in Solano County. The service expansion, which goes into effect today, will add more than 85 new miles of coverage — bringing the regionwide network to 530 miles — and put six more trucks on the road for a total of 83.

MTC, acting as the Service Authority for Freeways and Expressways (SAFE), oversees the FSP in partnership with the California Highway Patrol and Caltrans. “Half of all the congestion on Bay Area freeways is due to accidents, stalls, debris spills and other incidents,” observed Solano County Supervisor Jim Spering, who represents Solano County on MTC SAFE. “The Freeway Service Patrol delivers a vital service by providing assistance that can help to unclog these critical travel routes.”

The addition of four new “beats” (segments of coverage) this week will bring to 37 the total number of FSP beats around the Bay Area. The four new beats include a nearly 12-mile length of State Route 4 between Hercules and Pacheco; a 25-mile stretch of State Route 29 through the Napa Valley from State Route 128 in Rutherford to State Route 37 in Vallejo, plus 19 miles of State Route 12 between the Interstate 80 interchange in Solano County and the junction with State Route 116 in Sonoma County; a 16-mile expanse of Interstate 80 from the Interstate 505 interchange in Vacaville to the Yolo County line near Davis; and a nearly 14-mile segment encompassing all of Interstate 780 between Vallejo and Benicia, and a segment of Interstate 680 between Interstate 780 and Marshview Road.

One new tow truck will patrol State Route 4 between Hercules and Pacheco from 6 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. and from 3:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. each weekday. Another truck will provide coverage on Interstates 680 and 780 in Solano County from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. and from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. The new beat along State Routes 29 and 12 will be covered by a single truck from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. and from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays, and by a pair of trucks from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, in an effort to improve recreational traffic in the area.

“Tourism accounts for a huge part of the Napa Valley traffic picture,” explained MTC SAFE Chair and Napa County Supervisor Bill Dodd. “There’s a lot of tourist traffic through the valley every day of the week. But it can be off the charts on Saturdays and Sundays. So the weekend FSP coverage is essential.”

The new FSP beat along Interstate 80 in Solano County includes weekend service as well, with two trucks patrolling the freeway from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. and from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Sundays. “The weekend patrol is every bit as critical as the commute hour service,” explained Spering. “For most Bay Area residents, the return trip from a weekend getaway to Sacramento, Reno or Lake Tahoe includes Interstate 80. So Sunday traffic is usually heavy, and it’s essential to keep it moving as smoothly as possible.”

FSP drivers currently stop an average of more than 11,000 times a month to clear accidents, assist stranded motorists, remove dangerous road debris, tag abandoned vehicles and otherwise help to make the region’s freeways safer and less congested. The FSP consistently has received high marks from travelers who have been assisted — an average of 95 percent deem the service “excellent,” the highest rating on the survey forms motorists fill out.

FSP drivers attempt to get stalled autos running within a few minutes by providing basic services free of charge such as changing a tire, jump-starting a battery, taping hoses or providing a gallon of fuel. If that doesn’t work, the vehicle is towed to the nearest CHP-identified location off the freeway at no cost to the owner.

The FSP program is paid for by a variety of federal, state and local funds, including part of a $1-per-vehicle annual registration fee assessed to Bay Area motorists. MTC is the transportation planning, coordinating and financing agency for the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area.

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