The Expansion of California’s Freeway Service Patrol Program is Delivering Benefits to Motorists and the Environment

The Freeway Service Patrol (FSP) program has the goal of reducing congestion by using fleets of roving tow and service trucks  to  quickly  clear disabled vehicles and address other minor accidents on California’s freeway. The FSP program is jointly managed by Caltrans, the California Highway Patrol (CHP), and regional transportation agencies. Approximately $21.25 million in State transportation funds are provided each year to eligible regional transportation agencies for the FSP program using a formula-based allocation. The Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017 (SB 1) directs an additional 25 million per year to the FSP Program in 2017-18 and thereafter. Of this $25 million, $9.05 million is available for allocation to support new or expanded service. To gain a better understanding of the performance and benefits of the FSP program expansion supported by $9.05 million dollars from SB 1, a near-term cost effectiveness evaluation of the program was performed by UC Berkeley researchers affiliated with the Institute of Transportation Studies and the California PATH Program. The evaluation quantified the SB 1 funded benefits in delay savings (e.g., congestion reduction), motorist fuel savings, and transportation-related emissions reduction.