MDOT Freeway Courtesy Patrol assists over 35,000 stranded Metro Detroit motorists in 2008
Contact:
Bill Shreck, MDOT Director of Communications, 517-335-3084
Agency:
Transportation
March 20, 2009 -- New statistics show that the Michigan Department of Transportation's (MDOT) Freeway Courtesy Patrol (FCP) assisted over 35,000 stranded motorists on 12 Metro Detroit freeways last year. A report issued by the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG) says a benefit of $15.20 resulted from each dollar spent on the FCP in 2008. Additionally, the FCP saved commuters an estimated 11.5 million hours of delay last year and made significant reductions in air pollution.
The FCP made 50,782 stops on freeways in Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties: the largest number of stops (35,143) involved assisting stranded motorists, while 13,955 involved locating and marking unoccupied vehicles, and 1,684 involved moving debris off the roadway. On average, it took FCP drivers less than 15 minutes to clear an incident. Most of the stranded-motorist stops involved mechanical problems (10,110), flat tires (9,164), running out of gas (7,278), and assistance with traffic incidents (2,816).
"We are proud of the service that MDOT's Freeway Courtesy Patrol provides to motorists in southeast Michigan," said State Transportation Director Kirk T. Steudle. "Assisting stranded motorists not only helps the person whose car has broken down, but keeps busy highways clear of breakdowns, relieves congestion, and improves safety for all drivers."
Established in 1994, the FCP receives funds from MDOT through a grant from the Federal Highway Administration. MDOT administers the program as part of its larger freeway incident management program out of the Michigan Intelligent Transportation Systems (MITS) Center in Detroit. Utilizing 24 drivers and 24 vans, the program provides service to Metro Detroit motorists from 5 a.m. to midnight, seven days a week. The patrol also operates on special-event days, e.g., major community public events and sporting events. Since 1994, the FCP has made driving on southeast Michigan freeways safer by assisting 230,149 stranded motorists.
FCP services are free to motorists. There is no phone number to call; MITS Center dispatchers use traffic cameras at the MITS Center to identify motorists in need of assistance. FCP sponsors include SEMCOG and the Michigan State Police, and the patrol is operated by Emergency Road Response for MDOT. Additional information is available on the MDOT Web site at www.michigan.gov/courtesypatrol.
"The MDOT Freeway Courtesy Patrol in Southeast Michigan: 2008 Evaluation Report" appears on the SEMCOG Web site at www.semcog.org.
MDOT: Working to improve our state roads and bridges.
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