The Freeway Service Patrol is responsible for clearing the freeway of stalled or broken down automobiles, motorcycles, small trucks (vehicles with a gross weight of 6,000 pounds or less) and small debris. The Freeway Service Patrol operators contracting with the Transportation Agency provide "quick fix" items to motorists, e.g., furnishing one gallon of gasoline, changing flat tires, providing a "jump" start, taping or repairing cooling system hoses, refilling radiators or similar minor repairs. They also provide towing needs for minor collisions. If the disabled vehicle cannot be repaired in this manner, it is towed to a California Highway Patrol designated drop location. In that case, the motorist can request the vehicle operator to contact the California Highway Patrol Communication center to call for a tow truck or a friend/relative to assist them. The Freeway Service Patrol program is managed by a partnership of the Transportation Agency for Monterey County, the California Department of Transportation, and the California Highway Patrol.
This annual report is based on the latest year of complete data available from the State, which is 2017-18. During fiscal year 2017-18, Monterey County Freeway Service Patrol operations occurred on two road segments or beats: Highway 101 from Airport Boulevard to Highway 101/156 interchange (Beat 1) and State Route 1 between Carpenter Road and Reservation Road (Beat 2). Freeway Service Patrol drivers patrolled these two beats during times of peak traffic congestion from 7:00-9:00 a.m. and 3:00-7:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. A modified Beat 1 operated from Highway 156 to the San Benito County Line on Sundays during the summer months to accommodate the increase in traffic due to tourists visiting the Monterey County area, while the regular Beat 2 operated on Saturdays during the summer months to accommodate increased tourist traffic.
In the last three fiscal years, there were a total of 6,899 assists. The FSP operators provided a high level of service, exceeding the expectations of motorists as demonstrated by user surveys. The majority of survey respondents rate the service they received as excellent.
The effectiveness of the Freeway Service Patrol Program is assessed by calculating the annual benefit/cost ratio of each beat. The California Department of Transportation performs the benefit/cost analysis every other year. In fiscal year 2017-18, the overall benefit/cost ratio for the Monterey County Freeway Service Patrol Program was 9:1, which indicates that the tow truck program provided an average benefit of $9.00 for every dollar invested in the program.
The $9.00 benefit represents an 80% increase over fiscal year 2016-17, when the benefit was $5.00. The increase is largely a reflection of an increase in debris removals and accident assists compared to the previous year.
The annual savings in incident delay, fuel consumption and air pollutant emissions due to the tow truck service are calculated based on the number of assists, beat geometries and traffic volumes. The savings are then translated into benefits using monetary values for delay ($21.79/vehicle-hour) and fuel consumption ($3.27/gallon). The costs include the annual capital, operating and administrative costs for providing FSP service.
Moving forward, the Freeway Service Patrol will continue to patrol Monterey County's busiest commute corridors, clearing the roads of incidents and helping motorists in need. With the passage of Senate Bill 1 in 2017 an additional $25 million is dedicated to the statewide program annually, which has resulted in additional funding for the Monterey County Freeway Service Patrol. With this in mind, the Agency began a pilot program for new patrols, adding an additional service truck to Highway 1 and an additional tow truck to US 101 between Salinas and Chualar. The results of the pilot program will be available in 2020, at which time the Agency may decide whether to continue the expanded service.