Meeting_Body
OPERATIONS, SAFETY, AND CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE COMMITTEE
FEBRUARY 19, 2026
Subject
SUBJECT: METRO FREEWAY SERVICE PATROL
Action
ACTION: APPROVE RECOMMENDATION
Heading
RECOMMENDATION
Title
AUTHORIZE the Chief Executive Officer to execute Contract Modifications for five Freeway Service Patrol (FSP) contracts in an aggregate amount of $2,357,000.00, thereby increasing the contract amounts from $23,876,791.98 to $26,233,791.98, and extending the current period of performance with individual amounts as follows:
A. Beat 9: Sonic Towing, Inc. Contract No. FS66316003-9, for $698,000 for up to 11 months, increasing the total contract amount from $4,514,753.00 to $5,212,753.00;
B. Beat 10: Jon’s Towing, Inc. Contract No. FS66316002-10, for $198,000.00 for up to 11 months, increasing the total contract amount from $4,416,768.50 to $4,614,768.50;
C. Beat 12: Sonic Towing, Inc. Contract No. FS66316004-12, for $347,000.00 for up to 11 months, increasing the total contract amount from $4,189,346.88 to $4,536,346.88;
D. Beat 21: South Coast Towing, Inc. Contract No. FS66316005-21 for $708,000.00 for up to 11 months, increasing the total contract amount from $3,806,798.60 to $4,514,798.60; and
E. Beat 20/37: Safeway Towing, dba Bob’s Towing Contract No. FS73888-2005, for $406,000.00 for up to 4 months, increasing the total contract amount from $6,949,125.00 to $7,355,125.00.
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 and to 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 largest FSP program of its kind in the nation. Metro’s FSP program has performed over 9,700,000 assists to date and maintains the highest Benefit to Cost (B/C) ratio 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
• 251,000 motorist assists
• 6,070,000 hours saved for motorists sitting in traffic
• 10,434,000 gallons of fuel savings
• Approximately 91,615,000 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 through efficiently assisting disabled vehicles by 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 experienced by bus riders and motorists but also reduces the chances 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 as well as 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 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, more than 138 tow and service trucks are deployed across LA County. Based on analysis, service availability, and regional demand, some beats operate additional service during busier periods, thereby using their contract allocations at varying levels. This seasonal variation results in spending more in some months and less in others.
Discussion
DISCUSSION
Authorizing the requested contract modifications for Beats 9, 10, 12, 20/37, & 21 contracts will ensure seamless and efficient operation of the FSP Program until a new solicitation and contract award have been completed. The pending modifications, if approved, 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 reported to the Board, industry operating costs such as insurance, labor, parts, and maintenance have increased significantly each year since 2020. These rates are distinct from the capital costs of procuring new trucks.
These contract modifications 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 that is capable of vehicle-to-vehicle charging and supports 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. There are many instances where motorists are stranded in traffic lanes and may not be visible to other motorists approaching at a high rate of speed. Safety Cloud can effectively reduce traffic speeds in a specific area to enhance the safety of the FSP driver and the motorist they are assisting.
Between December 2024 and November 2025, there were 2.76 million notifications to WAZE and Apple Maps users alerting them to slow down as they are approaching 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 $2,357,000.00 for the modifications is included in the FY26 budget in Cost Center 3352, Metro Freeway Service Patrol. Since this action also extends the period of performance into FY27, the cost center manager and Deputy Chief of Operations, Shared Mobility will be responsible for budgeting funds for FY 27.
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 and 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. Each FSP Contractor in this modification has different Small Business Enterprise (SBE) and Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise (DVBE) commitments and levels of participation, as outlined below Three of the four Contractors, Sonic Towing, Inc., South Coast Towing, Inc., and Jon’s Towing, Inc, are certified SBEs.
Sonic Towing, Inc:
Beat 9
Commitment is SBE 95% and DVBE 3%
Participation rate is SBE 95.24% and DVBE 2.86%
Beat 12
Commitment is SBE 95% and DVBE 3%
Participation rate is SBE 95.11% and DVBE 3.41%
Jon’s Towing, Inc:
Beat 10
Commitment is SBE 95% and DVBE 3%
Participation rate is SBE 94.58% and DVBE 3.25%
Safeway Towing dba Bob’s Towing:
Beat 20/37
Commitment is SBE 3.02% and DVBE 3.45%
Participation rate is SBE 0.43% and DVBE 4.72%
South Coast Towing, Inc.:
Beat 21
Commitment is SBE 7% and DVBE 3%
Participation rate is SBE 59.56% and DVBE 8.41%
Currently, 67% of the FSP Tow Service providers are SBE certified, and 7% are DVBE certified.
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 Board may decide not to authorize these modifications. 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 effectiveness in those areas and 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 and seamless delivery of the FSP Program and work on new solicitations to address program needs. A solicitation to be released later this year will include the addition of zero-emission trucks capable of vehicle-to-vehicle charging that can assist EVs with depleted batteries, further supporting Metro’s sustainability goals by replacing carbon-fuel vehicles with zero-emission FSP vehicles. All future FSP solicitations will include this requirement.
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
Mark Linsenmayer, Executive Officer, Shared Mobility, (213) 922-5569
Shahrzad Amiri, Deputy Chief Operations Officer, Shared Mobility,
(213) 922-3061,
Debra Avila, Deputy Chief Vendor/Contract Management Officer, (213) 481-3051
Reviewed_By
Reviewed by: Conan Cheung, Chief Operations Officer, (213) 418-3034
