SAN FERNANDO VALLEY : Free Freeway Tow Service to Expand

A program that provides free freeway tow truck service to stranded motorists will be expanded to include more San Fernando Valley areas, transportation officials from Los Angeles County, the state Department of Transportation and the California Highway Patrol said Wednesday.

The expansion of the Freeway Service Patrol, which is provided by the three agencies, was announced on the same day that the service marked its first anniversary.

The patrol helped 156,000 stranded motorists during the first 12 months of service.

The program, funded through voter-approved sales tax increases, will add 51 trucks that will cover 140 miles of freeway in Los Angeles County.

Currently, the program has 88 trucks covering 215 miles throughout the county.

The new areas being served include the Ventura Freeway from Valley Circle Drive to Reseda Boulevard; the Antelope Valley Freeway from Sand Canyon Road to Shadow Pines Boulevard; and the Hollywood Freeway from Vermont Boulevard to the Ventura Freeway.

The tow truck drivers provide free “quick fix” help, such as offering a gallon of gasoline, changing a flat tire and taping leaky radiator hoses.

If the tow truck driver cannot get the vehicle started, the driver will tow it to a nearby telephone where the driver can call for assistance.