Meeting_Body
OPERATIONS, SAFETY, AND CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE COMMITTEE
OCTOBER 15, 2026
Subject
SUBJECT: METRO FREEWAY SERVICE PATROL
Action
ACTION: APPROVE RECOMMENDATION
Heading
RECOMMENDATION
Title
AUTHORIZE the Chief Executive Officer to execute Contract Modifications for eleven Freeway Service Patrol (FSP) contracts in an aggregate amount of $18,382,400.00, thereby increasing the contract amounts from $120,316,691.39 to $138,699,091.39, and extending the current period of performance with individual amounts as follows:
A. Beat 9: Sonic Towing, Inc. Contract No. FS66316003-9, for $510,200.00 for up to 9 months, increasing the total Contract amount from $5,212,753.00 to $5,722,953.00; and
B. Beat 10: Jon’s Towing, Inc. Contract No. FS66316002-10, for $489,600.00 for up to 9 months, increasing the total Contract amount from $4,935,445.35 to $5,425,045.35; and
C. Beat 12: Sonic Towing, Inc. Contract No. FS66316004-12, for $673,100.00 for up to 9 months, increasing the total Contract amount from $4,536,346.88 to $5,209,446.88; and
D. Beat 21: South Coast Towing, Inc. Contract No. FS66316005-21 for $432,100.00 for up to 9 months, increasing the total Contract amount from $4,514,798.60 to $4,946,898.60; and
E. Beat 70: South Coast Towing, Inc. Contract No. FS66316006-70 for $763,400.00 for up to 9 months, increasing the total Contract amount from $$7,324,652.00 to $8,088,052.00; and
F. Beat 71: Disco Auto Sales dba Hollywood Car Carrier Contract No. FS66316001-71 for $616,600.00 for up to 9 months, increasing the total Contract amount from $8,726,325.00 to $9,342,925.00; and
G. Beat 18/38: Bob & Dave's Towing Contract No. FS73888-2004, for $1,709,600.00 for up to 9 months, increasing the total Contract amount from $8,318,687.38 to $10,028,287.38; and
H. Beat 20/37: Safeway Towing, dba Bob’s Towing Contract No. FS73888-2005, for $843,500.00 for up to 9 months, increasing the total Contract amount from $7,855,125.00 to $8,698,625.00; and
I. Beat 5/17: Classic Tow dba Tip Top Tow Contract No. FS73888-2001, for $1,417,000.00 for up to 9 months, increasing the total Contract amount from $7,581,984.20 to $8,998,984.20; and
J. R1: Kenny’s Auto Service Contract No. FS58039000, for $5,053,800.00 for up to 9 months, increasing the total Contract amount from $30,380,368.98 to $35,434,168.98; and
K. R2: Platinum Tow & Transport Contract No. FS58039001, for $5,873,500.00 for up to 9 months, increasing the total Contract amount from $30,930,205.00 to $36,803,705.00;
Issue
ISSUE
FSP light-duty contracts are re-procured approximately every four years to replace aging vehicles, encourage competition by providing tow service contractors the opportunity to bid on new contracts, and allow new contracts to reset rates using the most current industry prices. Existing contracts for these beats are expiring and require extensions to avoid a gap in service provision as well as ensure sufficient funding is available. These modifications will enable the establishment of new contracts as funding expires, and facilitate the development of multiple contracts as part of future procurements.
Background
BACKGROUND
The FSP Program is a congestion mitigation program managed in partnership with Metro, California Highway Patrol (CHP), and Caltrans to serve motorists on all major freeways in Los Angeles County. The program began as a pilot in LA County in 1991 and is now the nation's largest FSP program of its kind. Metro’s FSP program has performed over 10,000,000 assists to date, and continues to maintain one of the highest Benefit-to-Cost (B/C) ratios of all 14 FSP programs within California. Typically, the annual benefits of the program are as follows:
• For individual beats, an annual B/C Ratio of 6:1 - For every $1 spent, there is a $6 benefit to the region in terms of congestion mitigation
• 227,000 motorist assists
• 6,063,000 hours saved for motorists sitting in traffic
• 10,423,000 gallons of fuel savings
• Approximately 91,513,000 kg of CO2 reductions
• The average motorist wait time for FSP service is 10 minutes (the average wait time for other roadside services is over 30 minutes)
• The Los Angeles County FSP program generates one-half of the cumulative benefits of the 14 FSP programs in the state
The FSP Program utilizes a fleet of roving tow and service trucks designed to reduce traffic congestion by assisting disabled vehicles with services, such as changing flat tires, providing a jump start, adding water to the radiator, taping leaking hoses, providing a gallon of gas, and/or quickly towing vehicles from the freeway to a designated safe location. Removing motorists and their disabled vehicles from the freeway not only reduces congestion for bus riders and motorists, but also lowers the chance of further incidents caused by onlookers and impatient drivers. FSP is free to motorists, operates seven days a week during peak commuting times, and helps save fuel and reduce air-polluting emissions by reducing stop-and-go traffic.
Metro contracts with independent contractors for Freeway Service Patrol Light Duty (FSPLD) tow service on general purpose lanes and on all major freeways in Los Angeles County, two Freeway Service Patrol ExpressLanes (FSPEL) contracts on the I-110 and I-10, as well as two Freeway Service Patrol Heavy Duty (FSPHD) contracts (I-710 and SR-91/I-605) to assist large commercial vehicles (Attachment E). During peak weekday hours, LA County deploys more than 138 tow and service trucks. Based on analysis of service availability and regional demand, some beats operate additional service during busier periods, thereby using their contract allocations at varying levels. This seasonal variation in demand results in higher spending in some months and lower spending in others.
Discussion
DISCUSSION
Authorizing the requested contract modifications will ensure seamless and efficient operation of the FSP Program until new contracts can be awarded. If approved, the pending modifications will adjust the contract prices to address current operating costs, including insurance premiums and major maintenance expenses. In addition, the contract modifications will replenish funding for contracts that support Caltrans construction projects through a cooperative agreement that reimburses Metro for FSP support.
As previously mentioned, industry operating costs such as insurance, labor, parts, and maintenance have increased significantly each year since 2020. These costs are distinct from the capital costs of procuring new trucks.
Therefore, these contract modifications will mitigate service gaps and allow staff to modify future solicitations to include at least one electric vehicle (EV) in new light-duty contracts. The EV alternative will be a zero-emission pickup truck capable of vehicle-to-vehicle charging. It will support Metro’s sustainability goals by replacing carbon-fuel vehicles with zero-emission FSP vehicles that can assist EVs with depleted batteries. These pickup trucks will also be fully equipped to provide the full menu of non-towing FSP services, such as changing flat tires, providing up to one gallon of fuel, water for the radiator, etc.
Determination_Of_Safety_Impact
DETERMINATION OF SAFETY IMPACT
The FSP Program enhances safety on Los Angeles County freeways by assisting motorists with disabled vehicles, towing vehicles from freeway lanes to prevent secondary accidents, and removing debris/obstacles from lanes that can pose a hazard to motorists.
In February 2024, HAAS Alert Safety Cloud was installed on all FSP vehicles. Safety Cloud sends a notification to WAZE and Apple Maps users within 30 seconds of approaching an FSP truck assisting a motorist on the freeway. The notification alerts the users that FSP is stopped ahead and to slow down. HAAS Alert provides this service primarily to first responders, FSPs, and tow operators responding to freeway incidents. Motorists are often stranded in traffic lanes and may not be visible to other motorists approaching at high speeds. Safety Cloud can effectively reduce traffic speeds in a specific area by sending notification alerts to enhance the safety of the FSP driver and the motorist they are assisting.
In fiscal year 2026, 2.86 million notifications were sent to Waze and Apple Maps users, alerting them to slow down as they approached FSP trucks stopped to assist motorists. HAAS Alert is working to expand the number of motorists it can alert by adding Safety Cloud to Google Maps.
Financial_Impact
FINANCIAL IMPACT
The amount of $18,382,400.00 for the modifications is included in the FY27 budget in Cost Center 3352 Project 300070, Metro Freeway Service Patrol, account 50320 - Contract Services.
Impact to Budget
The FSP Program is funded through a combination of dedicated state funds, SB1 funding, and Metro Proposition C 25% sales tax revenues. These funds are not eligible for Metro Bus, Rail Operating, and Capital expenses. Metro is also reimbursed for the services provided to support Caltrans construction projects.
Equity_Platform
EQUITY PLATFORM
FSP provides congestion mitigation service on all freeways and ExpressLanes in LA County, with over 95% of FSP beats in/adjacent to Equity Focus Communities (EFC). Additionally, each FSP contract includes a commitment by the contractor to meet or exceed the goal established by DEOD for the contract. Each FSP Contractor in this modification made different Small Business Enterprise (SBE) and Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise (DVBE) commitments and has varying levels of participation. Five of the nine contractors, Sonic Towing, Inc., Hovanwil, Inc. dba Jon’s Towing, Bob & Dave’s Towing, Inc., Kenny’s Auto Service, and Platinum Tow & Service, Inc., are certified SBEs. The cumulative level of participation across the 11 contracts is 75.17% SBE and 4.31% DVBE. A total of 15 SBE and 12 DVBE firms have participated in these contracts.
Vehicle_Miles_Traveled_Outcome
VEHICLE MILES TRAVELED OUTCOME
VMT and VMT per capita in Los Angeles County are lower than national averages, the lowest in the SCAG region, and on the lower end of VMT per capita statewide, with these declining VMT trends due in part to Metro’s significant investment in rail and bus transit.* Metro’s Board-adopted VMT reduction targets align with California’s statewide climate goals, including achieving carbon neutrality by 2045. To ensure continued progress, all Board items are assessed for their potential impact on VMT.
While the agency remains committed to reducing VMT through transit and multimodal investments, some projects may induce or increase personal vehicle travel. However, these individual projects aim to ensure the efficient and safe movement of people and goods.
This Board item is expected to increase VMT in LA County, as it includes operational activities that encourage driving alone or increase vehicle travel through the modification of FSP contracts to accommodate faster and more reliable travel options for drivers using LA County roads. Although this item may not directly contribute to the achievement of the Board-adopted VMT Reduction Targets, the VMT Targets were developed to account for the cumulative effect of a suite of programs and projects within the Metro region, which individually may induce or increase VMT. Additionally, Metro has a voter-approved mandate to deliver multimodal projects that enhance mobility while ensuring the efficient and safe movement of people and goods.
*Based on population estimates from the United States Census and VMT estimates from Caltrans’ Highway Performance Monitoring System (HPMS) data between 2001-2019.
Implementation_of_Strategic_Plan_Goals
IMPLEMENTATION OF STRATEGIC PLAN GOALS
The FSP Program aligns with Strategic Goal 1) Provide high-quality mobility options that enable people to spend less time traveling. The program mitigates congestion on all major freeways in Los Angeles County.
Alternatives_Considered
ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED
The alternative is to allow the light-duty beats to lapse and provide coverage from other nearby beats until a new procurement is established. This alternative is not recommended since it will not be cost-effective and will lower the service efficiency in those areas, which could possibly result in lower coverage, increased congestion, and slower response times.
Next_Steps
NEXT STEPS
Upon Board approval, staff will execute the necessary contract modifications to ensure efficient, seamless delivery of the FSP Program and will continue working on new solicitations to address program needs. Staff released a solicitation in October 2026 to reprocure numerous beats and will include zero-emission trucks capable of vehicle-to-vehicle charging to assist EVs with depleted batteries, further supporting Metro’s sustainability goals by replacing carbon-fuel vehicles with zero-emission FSP vehicles. Staff anticipates returning to the Board with the new contract recommendations in spring 2027.
Attachments
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A - Procurement Summary
Attachment B - Contract Modification Summary
Attachment C - Contract Modification/Change Order Log
Attachment D - DEOD Summary
Attachment E - FSP Beat Map
Prepared_by
Prepared by: John Takahashi, Senior Director, Shared Mobility, (213) 418-3271
Tim Lew, Executive Officer, Shared Mobility (Interim), (213) 418-3134
Steven Gota, Deputy Chief Operations Officer, Shared Mobility (Interim), (213) 922-3043
Debra Avila, Deputy Chief Vendor/Contract Management Officer, (213) 418-3051
Reviewed_By
Reviewed by: Mat Antonelli, Chief Vendor/Contract Management Officer, (213) 893-7114
Conan Cheung, Chief Operations Officer, (213) 418-3034
