Press Releases

For Immediate Release

Freeway Service Patrol Beefs Up South and East Bay Coverage

CONTACT:

Reka Goode
510/464-7706

Catalina Alvarado
510.817.5783

OAKLAND, Calif., June 23, 1998...The Freeway Service Patrol's fleet of roving tow trucks has increased its South Bay coverage by adding the 5.5-mile stretch of State Route 85 between U.S. Highway 101 and Interstate 280 to its patrol territory. And to speed up response on the longest single "beat" in the FSP's network - the 25 miles of Interstate 680 between Sunol Boulevard in Pleasanton and Highway 101 in San Jose - a third truck will be added to the fleet in mid-July.

Starting June 15, three tow trucks that had been operating along I-280 in Santa Clara County from the I-680/Highway 101 interchange to the Foothill Expressway began to loop north as far as El Camino Real. Another set of three trucks that had covered 101 from State Route 92 in San Mateo County to Ellis Street in Mountain View now swing south to El Camino Real, completing the SR 85 connection between 280 and 101. With the FSP on the scene, the flow of traffic along SR 85 should improve and polluting emissions be reduced, as disabled vehicles, debris and other safety hazards are moved out of highway lanes.

The I-280/85 service operates from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays; the hours on the 101/85 segment begin and end 30 minutes later in the mornings. The SR 85 extension brings the total number of miles covered by the FSP to 257 miles over the nine-county region.

The added truck on I-680 will keep the same hours as the original two trucks on that "beat" - from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. between Sunol Boulevard and Scott Creek Road, and 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. from Scott Creek Road to 101 - the hours reflecting the northbound vs. southbound congestion patterns on the two freeway segments.

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 48 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.

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