Giving Freeway Traffic a Lift : Los Angeles fields a new tow-truck patrol to reduce congestion

For motorists stranded on the side of the freeway, the protracted wait for assistance is inconvenient and at times even hazardous. But now, thanks to a new program administered by state and local transportation agencies, roadside help will be free and prompt--reducing the danger for trapped motorists as well as some of the congestion for rush-hour commuters.

The Freeway Service Patrol is a joint effort by the Los Angeles County Transportation Commission, Caltrans and the California Highway Patrol. The $9-million-a-year contract with private towing companies will be paid for with part of the revenues generated by Proposition C’s countywide half-cent sales tax increase.

The tow-truck patrol will be expanded in three stages. The first began this week, with 36 trucks patrolling 71 miles along sections of the Harbor, Hollywood, Pomona, Santa Monica, Golden State and San Diego freeways, each weekday from 6 to 10 a.m. and from 3 to 7 p.m. By the third stage, starting in September, there will be nearly 90 trucks covering more than 200 miles of L.A. County freeways.

Uniformed tow truck drivers, displaying the Freeway Service Patrol insignia, will change flat tires, supply emergency gasoline, make minor repairs and tow disabled vehicles to one of hundreds of selected public areas that have telephones.

Truck operators are not permitted to tow disabled vehicles to gas stations or garages, so motorists needing further repairs or towing must make their own arrangements.

Transportation officials expect that the tow trucks will be able to respond to disabled vehicles within 10 minutes, thereby reducing rush-hour congestion by 15% and cutting the wait by thousands of driver-hours a day.

As long as there is a Los Angeles there will be traffic jams. But if the first day of service--when 270 vehicles received assistance--is any indication of its success, then the Freeway Service Patrol should be very worthwhile indeed.