Volume 16 • Number 1 APRIL 2007

News from the Bay Area Freeway Service Patrol

Inside: 13th Annual FSP Awards Event & 2007 Tow Procurements page 2 Family Day at the Game Quarterly Awards 2, 3 FSP Statistical Summary 2, 3 by Danielle Stanislaus, MTC SAFE Upcoming Events 4 The Public Speaks 4 ake me out to the Ball Game, take me out with the crowd…” and by crowd, we mean all Tof the Freeway Service Patrol (FSP) program participants, of course! The first-ever Almedariz, Roadrunner Tow; Lamont combined FSP Awards Smith, Palace Garage; and Aduardo Event and Family Day Ayon and Gary Page, Matos Towing at the Game was held & Transport. on September 16, • Thirteen-Year Service Awards 2006, at the Oakland Leon Esquenazi, Campbell’s Towing Coliseum as the and Doug Grafmiller, Matos Towing beloved Oakland A’s & Transport. battled it out against Following the service awards, the World Champion the Contractor’s Choice awards were Chicago White Sox. The FSP gang at the game distributed. Each contractor chose This fun-filled family to formally recognize a member of event kicked off with a BBQ buffet • Three-Year their staff —driver or dedicated FSP lunch served on the BBQ Terrace, fol- Service Awards office personnel — who has per- lowed immediately by the annual FSP Eric Scaplen and Michael McClaren, formed exemplary service for the Awards Ceremony to formally recog- Campbell’s Towing; Fernando Bernal, FSP program over the past year. nize the individual and collective All Ways Tow & Transport; Robert The Contractor’s Choice award accomplishments achieved by FSP Inskeep and Jorge Bajaras, Yarbrough recipients were: Ambika Maharaj, program participants over the past Bros. Towing; Jose Cabrera, B&A Body A-One Towing; Gerardo Menendez, year. FSP drivers, contractors, part- Works/Towing; Moises Morales, Palace B&A Body Works/Towing; Graig ners, families and friends came out for Garage; and Perminder Pandal and Nathlich, B&D Towing; Shawn this event and enjoyed great food, Martir Garcia, A-One Towing. Gilgo, Campbell’s Towing; Kevin great company and a GREAT game. • Five-Year Service Awards Mullette, All Ways Tow & Transport; The awards ceremony began after Lidia Gonzalez, Pito’s Towing; Michael Ken Carter, Dick’s Automotive Trans- lunch with the presentation of service Sonza, Yarbrough Bros. Towing; port; Steve Barnes, Bill’s Towing; Tes- awards for three, five and 13 years of Howard Livesay, Ken Betts Towing; fay Zemikael, Ken Betts Towing; continuous service to the FSP pro- Glenn Calub, B&A Body Works/Tow- Walter Barrows, Ladd’s Autobody gram. The FSP partners are proud to ing; Paul Carerro, B&D Towing; Wal- and Towing; Henry Davidson, recognize the following 27 dedicated ter Barrows, Ladd’s Autobody & Tow- Palace Garage; Lidia Gonzalez, Pito’s drivers who have been involved with ing; Ronald Sgarlato, Glenn Sgarlato, Towing; Dennis Birosel, Roadrunner the program for multiple years: and Ken Carter, Dick’s Automotive Tow; Nick Nohr, Yarbrough Bros. Transport; Karl Offerman, David Law- Towing; Herman Garcia, Nelson’s son, James Grossbach, and Jimmy continued on page 3

The FSP is a partnership of Caltrans, the California Highway Patrol, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission Service Authority for Freeways and Expressways (MTC SAFE), and local tow contractors. Website: www.fsp-bayarea.org

next page also). Beat 34, Vacaville Quarterly Awards Tow’s FSP beat, has an assist rate of 2007 FSP Tow Third Quarter, 1.5 assists per hour per truck, a 98 per- Procurement July – September 2006 cent excellent service rating, and only an 8.6 minute average motorist wait Contract Awards by Karin Betts, MTC Public Information time. It runs for 12.5 miles along I-80 & Highlights Driver of the Quarter from Abernathy Road just west of Fair- Steve Barnes not field to the Interstate 505 junction. Congratulations to all contractors who only drives the sin- The beat’s two main drivers are Don- secured beats in our most recent pro- gle tow truck on ald Thompson and Robert Bodeau. curement, which includes towing serv- Beat 28, patrolling ices on 19 beats — approximately half U.S. 101 from State of the total beats for the FSP program. Route 37 in Marin Four of these beats are new to the pro- County to E. Wash- gram, further expanding and enhanc- ington in ing FSP service: 1) Beat 17 in Napa Petaluma, but he County on State Routes 29 and 12, also is the owner of which will operate on both the week- Bill’s Towing in Steve Barnes days and weekends due to recreational Novato, in operation since 1968. His traffic; 2) Beat 24 in Solano County staff describes him as genuinely liking Yarbrough Bros. Towing along from Marshview what he does, and wanting to be a Road to Interstate 780, and on I-780 part of the action both in the office Contractor of the Quarter from I-680 to ; 3) Beat and out on the road. Barnes clearly This award goes to Yarbrough Bros. 36 in Contra Costa County on State has a handle on both with a great Towing of Santa Rosa, which operates Route 4 from I-80 to Pacheco; and 4) motorist survey return rate — almost Beats 15 and 33 along U.S. 101 in Beat 37 in Solano County on I-80, double the quarterly average — and a Sonoma County from Petaluma to the which will close the gap from the 99 percent accuracy rating with his northern reaches of Santa Rosa. Interstate 505 junction to the Yolo assist data. According to Michelle Inskeep, FSP County Line. Listed below are the manager and one of the shop’s owners, contractors who will be providing the Beat of the Quarter “The success of our program is due to FSP service on the 19 beats starting Vacaville Tow has been in business our two drivers and the responsibility this summer. along Interstate 80 in Solano County they take for their beats. Here at for nearly 20 years, and the shop’s Yarbrough Bros., driving the FSP Beat Tow Contractor experience shows (see Awards story on truck is the premier job.” Steve Parker 3 Palace Garage, San Leandro drives the tow truck 5 K&S Tow, Bay Point on Beat 15; and Nick 9 Campbell’s Towing, San Jose Nohr handles Beat 33. 10 Sunrise Enterprise 87, Yarbrough Bros. East Palo Alto Towing has been in 11 B&A Towing, San Francisco business since 1977, 12 Ken Betts Towing, Oakland and has been an FSP 13 Bill’s Towing, Novato contractor since 1993. 15 Yarbrough Bros. Towing, Robert Bodeau, Donald Thompson of Vacaville Tow, Santa Rosa Beat of the Quarter 16 Lima Tow, Santa Clara 17 Grapevine Towing, Napa Third Quarter 2006 Statistics Summary 22 Palace Garage, San Leandro (July through September 2006) 24 & 29 Roadrunner Tow, Fairfield Total number of assists = 34,628 27 Palace Garage, San Leandro Percentage of assists involving people = 57.5 percent 30 Nelson’s Tow, San Francisco Average number of assists per hour per truck = 0.86 34 & 37 Vacaville Tow, Vacaville Percentage of motorist survey returns = 13.9 percent 35 Palace Garage, San Leandro Percentage of surveys rating service as excellent = 96 percent 36 Ken Betts Towing, Oakland Average motorist wait time = 9.4 minutes

On Patrol/April 2007 -2-

Awards Jauregui of B&A Body Works/Towing. which has received the Contractor of (continued from page 1) William Flamenco of B&A Body the Year Award four times over the Tow; Ken Sass, Sunrise Enterprise 87; Works/Towing was chosen as the Driver past decade, and has been with the John Haley, Lima Tow; Doug of the Year. This award is based on FSP program since 1994. Grafmiller, Matos Towing & Transport; feedback from the FSP partners as well The last award presented was the and Robert Bodeau, Vacaville Tow. as motorist survey forms, letters, voice- Special Recognition award. This year, Two California Highway Patrol mails and e-mails. It was Flamenco’s the award went to Wes Wells of MTC (CHP) dispatchers — Gina Walls and outstanding performance and continu- SAFE for his long-standing commit- Terry Mason — were recognized with ous dedication to the program that ment to the program at both the local Dispatcher of the Year awards for won him this prestigious award. This and statewide level. Wells recently their outstanding performance and year marked his 7th year with FSP. retired from MTC, where he worked dedication to the FSP program. The Contractor of the Year for over 35 years assisting in the plan- The Golden Paperclip award was award was presented to Dick’s Automo- ning and implementation of several presented to B&A Body Works/Towing tive Transport in Campbell in recogni- operational and incident management for their continuous submission of tion of their excellent overall perform- programs, including FSP, which he neat, timely and accurate paperwork. ance throughout the year. Dick’s Auto- started in 1993. This paperwork provides one of the motive Transport has been a contrac- Immediately following the awards major sources of data for all of the pro- tor with the program since 2001. ceremony, everyone went to their gram’s statistics. A very special award was present- field-level seats to enjoy an exciting A’s The Public Choice award was ed this year to a contractor who has victory over the White Sox. A special presented to the FSP driver who demonstrated exemplary performance thanks goes out to all of the FSP tow received the greatest number of com- over the past ten years. This Contrac- contractors for their generous dona- mendation letters, e-mails and voice- tor of the Decade award was given to tions to support this popular event. mails from motorists — William All Ways Tow & Transport in Fremont, Thanks, everyone!

Quarterly Awards Castro Valley and, according to A-One CHP, that not only were they honored Towing’s owner Tony Pandal, sees its with the fourth quarter contractor Fourth Quarter, fair share of accidents and incidents. award but they also were awarded a October – December 2006 But should you break down on this brand new FSP beat in the recent pro- beat, you can look forward to speedy by Karin Betts, MTC Public Information curement — Beat 37 — which will FSP service — the average motorist extend FSP coverage in Solano Coun- Driver of the Quarter wait time during the fourth quarter ty from I-505 to the Yolo County Congratulations to Ruben Banaban was only 6.3 minutes! The beat’s two line near Davis. FSP manager of All Ways Tow & Transport in Fre- quick and alert drivers, Jitendra Gill Paul Henderson says that his mont for his impeccable 100 percent and Juan C. Diaz, also can be proud team is a solid group of good, accuracy rating with his assist data. of their 97 percent excellent hard-working guys with first- His route on Beat 14 includes both service rating. rate attention to detail, and from Mowry Avenue to Contractor of the he looks forward to adding Alvarado-Niles Road, and the State Quarter more trucks and drivers Route 84 approach to the Dumbarton Vacaville Tow is so when service on the new Bridge. Banaban has been an FSP adept at handling their beat starts this summer. driver for eight straight years, working current beat (see Awards for various FSP contractors when beat story on previous page), and contracts have changed hands. “Ruben works so smoothly with the Ruben Banaban is dependable,” says his All Ways col- league Norman Stovall. “He is an Fourth Quarter 2006 Statistics Summary excellent driver, quick to respond, and (October through December 2006) really puts motorists at ease.” Total number of assists = 29,485 Beat of the Quarter Percentage of assists involving people = 57.4 percent Beat 26 in Alameda County runs for Average number of assists per hour per truck = 0.82 13.5 miles along from Percentage of motorist survey returns = 8.9 percent Harrison Street/Oakland Avenue to Percentage of surveys rating service as excellent = 96.6 percent the junction with in Average motorist wait time = 9.6 minutes

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fell from a truck ahead, ripping the tire off On Patrol is published periodically by The Public Speaks of my car. FSP driver Bennett Crawford the Metropolitan Transportation Com- mission Service Authority for Freeways stopped and helped me with such personal and Expressways (MTC SAFE). otorists continue to mail, e-mail concern and efficiency. He saved me from Joseph P. Bort MetroCenter and phone in praise and grati- 101 Eighth Street being stuck out there with no other help for Oakland, CA 94607-4700 tude for their experiences with 510.817.5700 M hours. Please thank him again. He is a kind TDD/TTY 510.817.5769 the FSP program. Here are a few recent person who does his job extremely well. FAX 510.817.5848 comments. Web site Thank you for this life-saving service!!!!” MTC Executive Director: Steve Heminger Voicemail Deputy Executive Directors: Upcoming Events Ann Flemer, Andrew Fremier & (9/22/06) “I was just assisted on Therese W. McMillan Director, Highway & Arterial Operations: U.S. 101 in Morgan Hill by FSP Albert Yee driver Steven Pauley, who was wonderful. Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) MTC SAFE Senior Program Coordinator: Jaime C. Maldonado He was out of surveys to hand out, so I Meetings On Patrol Editor: thought I would call to say how grateful I 8:30 a.m. Tuesdays at MTC, MetroCenter Danielle Stanislaus 510.817.5737 am for the assistance. Thank you!” May 8, 2007 Copy Editor: Karin Betts June 12, 2007 Graphics Design/Production: David L. Cooper (10/3/06) “I was coming from July 10, 2007 Photos (unless otherwise indicated): Richmond today when something Sze Lei Leong September 11, 2007 fell off another driver’s automobile and I ran Printing: Autumn Press California Highway Patrol, over it. It punctured my tire, and I had to Tow Contractors Meetings Golden Gate Division Chief Cathy Sulinski; Lt. Avery Browne; pull over. Before AAA arrived, one of your 11 a.m. Tuesdays at MTC, MetroCenter Sergeant Chris Childs; Officers Eric FSP drivers — Tom — showed up. The Butawan, Gary Lee, Chris Nave and Mar- May 8, 2007 cos Rodriguez; Staff Service Analyst accident was a horrible experience for me, Dwyane Potts July 10, 2007 but Tom was very kind and professional. He Caltrans, District 4 September 11, 2007 District Director: Bijan Sartipi calmed me down and made sure that I was District Director of Operations: safe and he assisted me with the flat tire. Sean Nozzari Quarterly Driver Refresher Training Office Chief: Cyrus Mashhoodi The situation turned out okay after all. I 11 a.m. at CHP, Oakland Caltrans FSP Staff: just wanted to say thank you for this pro- Norman Anderson, Scotty Hsiao, gram, and a big thank you to Tom.” June 28, 2007 Kane Wong 510.286.5917 September 20, 2007 Local Tow Contractors: Tony Singh E-mail 11 a.m. at CHP, Dublin A-One Towing, Richmond Vincent Haavisto and Kim Skinner (2/23/07) “I was driving to work in June 21, 2007 All Ways Towing and Transport, Fremont the rain when my driver’s side Richard Bilafer September 13, 2007 B & A Body Works and Towing, windshield wiper blade became partially San Francisco 11 a.m. at CHP, Vallejo detached from the arm. Without visibility, I Bryan Davis and Richard Valles June 22, 2007 B & D Towing, Concord had to pull over to the shoulder. I started Steve Barnes thinking about calling work to say I’d be July 6, 2007 Bill’s Towing, Novato Joe Scarff and Leon Esquenazi late and calling AAA for help and worrying September 14, 2007 Campbell’s Towing, San Jose Steve Sgarlato how long I’d be stranded. Before I could September 24, 2007 Dick’s Automotive Transport, Campbell even reach for my cell phone, a white tow 11 a.m. at San Jose Armory, San Jose Ken Betts and Roger Craig truck pulled up behind me! The nicest man Ken Betts’ Towing, Oakland June 29, 2007 Jack Ladd in the world got out of the truck, fixed my Ladd’s Auto Body and Towing, Felton September 21, 2007 Lupe Lima problem, and I was on my way in just a few LimaTow, Santa Clara minutes. Although I understand the benefits Proficiency Testing David Schely of your service to traffic flow and safety, the Matos Towing and Transport, San Jose 7 a.m. at CHP, Vallejo Nelson V. Lopez impact it had on my personal safety and Nelson’s Tow, San Francisco May 14, 2007 Bill Hemenez peace of mind is immeasurable. Thank you Palace Garage, San Leandro so much!” June 4, 2007 Victor Linares August 13, 2007 Pito’s Towing, Oakland Joe Paz Sr. and Anthony Yrigollen Letters Redhill Towing, San Rafael (1/23/07) “It is not enough to just Certification Class Jim Inglebright and Karl Offerman 7 a.m. at CHP, Vallejo Roadrunner Tow, Fairfield fill out a survey. I have to convey Horace C. Robinson May 23-25, 2007 Sunrise Enterprise 87, East Palo Alto more personal appreciation. I was in a dan- Glenn Neal gerous situation in a friend’s car, I had just June 13-15, 2007 VacavilleTow, Vacaville Michelle Inskeep dropped her off at the airport, and debris August 22-24, 2007 Yarbrough Bros. Towing, Santa Rosa

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