"Tow and Go" Program Expanded (TX)

[TowNews]

Houston-Galveston Area Council expanding ‘Tow and Go’ program to Jersey Village.

 

The Houston-Galveston Area Council announced Wednesday, Aug. 5, the expansion of its free towing service for drivers whose vehicles break down on the road.

 

The Gulf Coast Regional Tow and Go Program is now serving motorists on all camera-monitored freeways in Harris County and the cities of Jersey Village, Humble, La Porte and Bellaire.

 

Tow and Go is managed by H-GAC and is funded by the Federal Highway Administration and the Texas Department of Transportation. The Harris County Sheriff’s Office is a contributing partner in working with permitted Tow and Go operators since the program began, according to an H-GAC press release.

 

 

Houston-Galveston Area Council expanding ‘Tow and Go’ program to Jersey Village

By Alvaro Montano, Staff writer

Published 4:10 pm CDT, Tuesday, August 11, 2020

• 

Photo: Mark Mulligan, Houston Chronicle / Staff Photographer

 

Tow truck driver Rico Luna leaves the parking lot of Transtar while driving for the Tow & Go service, Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2020, in Houston. The Houston-Galveston Area Council announced Wednesday, August 5, the expansion of its Gulf Coast Regional Tow and Go Program service area with all camera-monitored freeways now in Jersey Village, Harris County, La Porte, Bellaire and Humble.

 

The Houston-Galveston Area Council announced Wednesday, Aug. 5, the expansion of its free towing service for drivers whose vehicles break down on the road.

The Gulf Coast Regional Tow and Go Program is now serving motorists on all camera-monitored freeways in Harris County and the cities of Jersey Village, Humble, La Porte and Bellaire.

Tow and Go is managed by H-GAC and is funded by the Federal Highway Administration and the Texas Department of Transportation. The Harris County Sheriff’s Office is a contributing partner in working with permitted Tow and Go operators since the program began, according to an H-GAC press release.

 

If a car that is driving in the program’s service area stops due to a problem like running out gas, overheating or a flat tire, that car will be moved to the safest closest site within one mile of the exit free of charge by an operator. The press release states that vehicle clearance will be authorized by law enforcement officers able to monitor traffic cameras in real time at the Houston TranStar traffic center or from the scene on the freeway.

 

H-GAC Regional Incident Management Program Manager David Fink said in the press release that as inhabitants keep coming to the Gulf Coast region, services like Tow and Go “become more essential towards relieving congestion, addressing costs, and improving safety on our freeways.”

 

Motorcycles will be towed as part of the Tow and Go Program, and trailers as well when possible.

 

Vehicles that won’t be eligible for free tows include cars that have been flooded, abandoned, involved in a crash or in a law enforcement incident. In these cases, the owners would have to pay the local jurisdictions’ standard towing rates.

 

The press release also states that when other towing services like AAA are called by drivers, that operator has to reach the location before authorized operators have been deployed from the TranStar traffic center. When that happens, the other operator must meet the driver at the site where the car has been moved.

 

For additional info about the Tow and Go program, visit TowandGo.com.

 

RESOURCE LINK

[TowZone]

Free Towing Program Expands To More Houston-Area Freeways

 

The aim of the program is to prevent local roadways from becoming snarled because of a breakdown

 

The Houston-Galveston Area Council has now expanded its "Tow and Go" program.

 

Under that program, disabled vehicles are towed off local freeways free of charge, either from the main lanes or the shoulder.

 

Tow trucks are dispatched to the scene after the breakdowns are spotted on traffic cameras at the Houston Transtar incident management center. Other incidents are handled by patrolling tow trucks that participate in the program.

 

The vehicle is then taken to a parking lot or other safe spot off the freeway.

 

The aim of Tow and Go is to prevent freeway crashes and backups. The program is funded by the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Texas Department of Transportation, and managed by the Houston-Galveston Area Council.

 

David Fink, program manager with H-GAC's Safety and Regional Incident Management Program, said the council has been been covering about 175 freeway miles within the City of Houston but has now expanded another 69 miles into Harris County. That includes the cities of Bellaire, La Porte, Humble, and Jersey Village.

 

Fink pointed out the average clearance time for a breakdown is just under 17 minutes. Once it's out of the way, traffic can start to flow again.

"This has been a very productive program," said Fink. “We hope to expand out to other counties in the future where we have camera coverage on the freeways."

 

That expansion could include I-10 into Waller County, I-45 North into Montgomery County, and I-69 in Fort Bend County. Fink added that I-69 in Montgomery County could also be an option as TxDOT looks to increase its traffic camera coverage.

 

Those stranded on the freeway can reach Tow and Go by calling 713-881-3333, or by going to towandgo.com. Drivers are advised to stay inside the vehicle with a seatbelt on until help arrives.

 

As H-GAC looks for other ways to keep the roads clear, Fink said it also plans to launch a pilot program in conjunction with the Houston police and fire departments in which minor non-injury crashes would be investigated remotely instead of sending units to the scene.

 

Fink also said current traffic patterns due to the COVID-19 pandemic has translated into fewer breakdowns on the freeways.

 

"We saw a major decrease in traffic in April when we were at complete shutdown, which was about 23% less tows during that time," explained Fink. "But we've seen traffic pick up and we're now about 8% below our average of 2019."

 

RESOURCE LINK

[rreschran]

Read the narrative closely and define the following ... "If a car that is driving in the program’s service area stops due to a problem like running out gas, overheating or a flat tire, that car will be moved to the safest closest site within one mile of the exit free of charge by an operator."

 

Does that mean no more tire changes in the "Tow First" mode? At least for California's Freeway Service Patrol, many of their patrol trucks are carriers that can load and go and not throw dollies when there's no spare or a flat spare. It's good to see that operator safety is a primary consideration.       R