Press Releases

For Immediate Release

Freeway Service Patrol Expands Coverage Area

New beats set for East Bay, Fairfield-Vacaville

Contact:

Radiah Taylor, MTC SAFE
510.817.5719

John Goodwin
510.817.5862

OAKLAND, Calif., February 16, 2005...The Bay Area's Freeway Service Patrol (FSP) fleet of roving tow trucks is spreading its protective wings for the first time since 2002 with the addition of new coverage segments along Interstate 80 and Interstate 505 in Solano County, and Interstate 680 in Contra Costa County. The service expansion, which was authorized last week and goes into effect this summer for a two-year demonstration period, will add more than 22 new miles of coverage — bringing the regionwide network to 478 miles — and put three more trucks on the road for a total of 83.

The Metropolitan Transportation Commission (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 Suisun City Mayor Jim Spering, who represents Solano County on MTC/SAFE. “The Freeway Service Patrol delivers a vital service by quickly unclogging these critical travel routes.”

The number of FSP “beats” (segments of coverage) in the Bay Area will jump from 31 to 33 in early July. The two new beats are a 10.3-mile length of Interstate 680 between Stone Valley Road in Danville and Alcosta Boulevard in San Ramon, and an 11.8-mile stretch of Interstates 80 and 505 between the Interstate 80/Abernathy Road interchange in Fairfield and the Interstate 505/Vaca Valley Parkway junction in Vacaville. Two new tow trucks will patrol the Solano County segment from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. and from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. each weekday, as well as from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Sundays.

“The Sunday afternoon 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, Lake Tahoe or Lake Shasta includes Interstate 80 through Vacaville and Fairfield. So Sunday traffic is usually heavy, and it’s essential to keep it moving as smoothly as possible.”

The new FSP beat in Contra Costa County will be covered by a single new truck on weekdays from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. and from 3 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

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’s SAFE Operations Committee last week paved the way for expansion of the FSP’s coverage area by approving new contracts valued at up to $16.3 million with 15 separate tow truck operators to provide service along numerous existing beats as well as the two new service segments. Contract terms run three years for the established FSP beats.

MTC is the transportation planning, coordinating and financing agency for the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area.

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