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October
3,
2005 |
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Metro
Expands Successful Metro Freeway Service Patrol to Help Stranded Big Rig
Trucks Along the Crowded Long Beach Freeway (I-710) Effective Oct. 3 In
an effort to quickly reduce traffic congestion resulting from breakdowns
of big rig trucks traveling along the Long Beach Freeway, Metro today
introduced the Metro Freeway Service Patrol Big Rig Tow Service. "This
is a natural for the busy I-710 Freeway with the volumes of big rig
trucks that travel along this congested corridor," said Los Angeles
Mayor and Metro Board Chairman Antonio Villaraigosa. "Getting help to
big rig truck drivers and getting them out of the way of freeway traffic
should go a long way in helping to reduce congestion on this freeway." The
Metro Freeway Service Patrol Big Rig Tow Service is a two year
demonstration project and will use two Metro-owned heavy-duty tow trucks
that will operate from 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday
exclusively along the I-710 (Long Beach Freeway) from Pacific Coast
Highway in Long Beach to just north of the I-5 (Santa Ana Freeway) in
East Los Angeles, for a total of 18 miles. "This
demonstration project will be the first of its kind in the nation
focused on freeway congestion caused by freight and goods movement along
the I-710 freeway," said Los Angeles County Supervisor and Metro Board
Member Don Knabe. "We are excited about this project and hope it truly
relieves congestion along this important transportation corridor." The
I-710 Big Rig program will operate much like the current successful
Metro Freeway Service Patrol program, with the goal of assisting
heavy-duty vehicles requiring short-term mechanical assistance, when
feasible, or providing a tow to a designated drop location off of the
freeway that will allow disabled heavy-duty truck operators to seek
longer-term assistance from a provider of their choice. "Studies
show that a disabled heavy-duty type vehicle can significantly increase
congestion which negatively impacts air quality as well as travel
time," said Long Beach City Councilwoman and Metro Board Member Bonnie
Lowenthal. "The congested Long Beach Freeway is a great place to add
this type of assistance to improve the flow of traffic along the
freeway." Metro,
in partnership with the California Highway Patrol and Caltrans, will
work with UC Berkeley in evaluating the demonstration project and offer
recommendations on the feasibility of instituting similar heavy-duty tow
truck towing services on other heavily traveled truck routes within Los
Angeles County. Cost
of the program is not to exceed $2.5 million for the two-year
demonstration project (including an optional third year) and is funded
by a one dollar DMV vehicle registration fee for support of the freeway
Call Box Program and the Metro Freeway Service Patrol administered
through Los Angeles Service Authority for Freeway Emergencies (LASAFE). Metro-140 |
