Press Releases

For Immediate Release

SOUTH BAY GETS INCREASED FREEWAY SERVICE PATROL COVERAGE

CONTACT:

Réka Goode
510/464-7706

Catalina Alvarado
510.817.5783

OAKLAND, Calif., Feb. 18, 1998... Commuters who drive on State Route 237 in the South Bay will be happy to know that something is being done about the increasing peak-hour congestion on that roadway. As of last week, the Freeway Service Patrol's fleet of roving tow trucks has expanded its already existing coverage on Highway 101 and Interstate 880 in Santa Clara County to include the SR 237 connector between the two. With the FSP on the scene, the flow of traffic should improve and polluting emissions be reduced, as disabled vehicles, debris and other safety hazards are moved out of highway lanes.

To help provide this increased level of service, a pickup truck has been added to the fleet. It joins two tow trucks in covering Interstate 880 and Highway 17 from SR 237 to State Route 9, as well as SR 237 from I-880 to the Lawrence Expressway. The segment of SR 237 from the Lawrence Expressway to Highway 101 has been incorporated into the "beat" covered by four tow trucks that patrol Highway 101 from Ellis Street in Mountain View to Blossom Hill Road in San Jose. The new service operates during the same hours as the two beats it joins, from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays, and adds nearly seven miles to the network covered by the FSP, for a total of close to 252 miles over the nine-county region.

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. Operated jointly by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission Service Authority for Freeways and Expressways (MTC SAFE), the California Highway Patrol (CHP) and Caltrans, the FSP's current fleet includes 47 tow trucks, three pickup trucks and four back-up tow trucks.

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. FSP drivers stop an average of 8,000 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.