Metro To Station Tow Truck On PCH
Written by 991KBU on May 16, 2018
Eighteen months after KBUU radio asked county supervisor Sheila Kuehl … why PCH doesn’t have freeway service patrol trucks … the trucks are heading towards Malibu.
And 80% of the cost will be paid for by the new State gas tax … money that is already being collected from Malibu residents.
The Malibu city council voted Monday night to chip in around $20,000 to bring Metro freeway service patrol trucks to PCH.
The county supervisor will pay the other half out of her discretionary funds.
Metro official John Takahashi called putting the freeway tow trucks on PCH unprecedented.
NEWSCART 775 METRO TAKAHSHI 1111
“And I’ll say unprecedented because PCH is not a freeway.
“All of our services services are on freeways and this is the first time it’s on non-freeway environment.”
The Metro study found that … assuming $12 per hour for each inconvenienced motorist … putting the freeway service patrol trucks on PCH will save up to $3.50 for every one dollar invested.
It was a five to nothing vote … although mayor Rick Mullen expressed some concern at the local Malibu towing service company would lose business.
Mullen … who is a firefighter who responds to trffic crashes … points out Malibu Tow has been doing a terrific job in Malibu for decades …
Metro will put the contract out for bid … and metro will not tow trucks out of the city… but merely clear the wrecks and move the disabled cars out of the way.
Again … Metro’s John Takahashi.
NEWSCART 775 METRO TAKAHASHI 222 QQQ CAN ASSIST THE MOTORIST.
“Our driver can assist in removing the vehicle.
“We don’t tow to any body shops or repair facilities, so the vehicle will be told again to a designated safe location off the freeway, where the secondary tow, which would be Malibu Tow, can assist the motorist.”
The Metro official said the contract will be put out for bid … and Malibu tow would be eligible to bid.
The council did not specify if the contract would be extended to weekends … which would cost an extra $25,000 for Malibu.
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There were some interesting statistics gathered by the metro officials as they determined the cost benefit ratio for putting a Metro freeway service patrol tow truck on PCH.
Every year … there is an average of 15 collisions per mile on PCH between Cross Creek and the Getty Museum.
Congestion delays in Malibu are 15% higher on weekends … than on weekends.
Delays are 30% higher in beach days.
And up to 60% higher on weekend summer days.
No surprises there to any Malibu drivers … but the metro official said he was surprised to learn that congestion levels on PCH are as they are on the 110 freeway in downtown Los Angeles.
