Scientific studies conducted by the University of California Berkeley have shown that non-recurrent freeway congestion, such as that caused by incidents or traffic accidents, results in higher automobile tailpipe emissions due to slower speeds and "stop and go" driving conditions. Freeway Service Patrols (FSP) is an effective means to identify and quickly remove disabled vehicles blocking freeway lanes, allowing traffic flow to recover sooner. The Riverside County Transportation Commission (RCTC), in its capacity as the Service Authority for Freeway Emergencies (SAFE), operates a FSP program on five segments, or "beats", on the SR-91, I-15, and I-215/SR-60 in Western Riverside County during the morning and afternoon commute hours. The FSP program has been in operation for over twelve years and has thirteen tow trucks under contract with three private tow truck operators.
412500.00
SR-60 freeway construction resulted in a reduction in the number of usable traffic lanes and elimination of road shoulders, resulting in reduced vehicle speeds and increased traffic congestion in the construction zone. To mitigate the impact of a traffic incident in the construction zone, RCTC implemented an additional FSP beat on SR-60, as follows: The new beat was designed to assist motorists traveling between Day Street and Redland Boulevard on SR-60 in Moreno Valley. Previously, RCTC's FSP Beat #18 ended at Day Street. This resulted in a new beat length of approximately 7.6 miles; The extended beat was operational during the 24-month construction period. The beat operated for three and one-half hours during the morning commute peak period (5:00 am to 8:30 am) and four hours during the afternoon commute peak period (3:00 pm to 7:00 pm). Two (2) tow trucks were used during beat operation. The MSRC FSP service was identical to the existing RCTC FSP program and followed standard operating procedures developed by the CHP and RCTC. The two tow vehicles utilized were Class A trucks with a minimum gross vehicle weight rating of 14,000 pounds, dual wheel chassis, and four (4) ton recovery equipment rating. In its capacity as the SAFE, RCTC administered the program and the CHP provided daily field supervision of the tow trucks.
The MSRC FSP Program was designed to expand existing FSP service within the South Coast AQMD. The MSRC partnered with the Riverside County Transportation Commission to provide FSP service during SR-60 freeway construction in the City of Moreno Valley.
The extended SR-60 construction beat operated for a total of 5,020 hours and performed 5,397 motorist assists. The average number of of motorist assists per truck-hour per beat was 1.1.
The freeway construction is completed and the extended FSP beat service has concluded.