Earlier this year, at the end of February, we met with a
handful of city and state agencies to discuss reducing the duration of traffic
jams caused by minor accidents or breakdowns.
As you know, we have begun to address the “minor accident” aspect of the
problem by trying to educate the driving public about pulling to the side of,
or completely off, the road while exchanging information.
In the absence of injuries or the inability to move the
vehicle, it is NOT necessary to call the police, nor is it necessary to remain
in a travel lane – the shoulder will do just fine. Almost daily, it seems, we are reminded that
the message has been missed by many drivers, but we will keep at it.
At the aforementioned meeting we also learned of a New York
State DOT effort to mitigate the traffic effects of simple breakdowns – running
out of gas, an overheated engine, a flat tire – by having special trucks
dedicated to patrolling certain corridors with the ability to get these vehicles
moving again. Known as H.E.L.P. trucks (Highway
Emergency Local Patrol), these vehicles are equipped to deal with simple
breakdown issues, and since they obviate the need to wait for city DOT tow
trucks, get traffic moving again in a fraction of the time. Of course, this service is free to motorists.
Currently, H.E.L.P. trucks patrol segments of Interstate 95
and 678 in the Bronx and parts of Interstate 495 and 678 in Queens. Shortly after the meeting, we requested that
NYSDOT Regional Director Sonia Pichardo examine the feasibility of adding
H.E.L.P. trucks along the I-278 corridor from the Goethals Bridge to the RFK
(Triborough) Bridge. This would, of
course, include the Staten Island Expressway and the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway,
the source of so much morning aggravation for commuters.
I’m happy to report that Director Pichardo has heard our
call, for which we express enormous appreciation, and agrees that H.E.L.P.
trucks would be a benefit in the I-278 corridor. She has directed her staff to evaluate the
I-278 corridor to identify segments of this Interstate where we can achieve the
greatest benefits with the HELP Program.
They will also undertake a review of the 2015 incident data
from their Joint Traffic Management Center (JMTC), to assist in determining
where the H.E.L.P. program would be most feasible for implementation.
Here’s some interesting facts about a program we didn’t know
existed until this meeting:
- It is the mission of the
NYS HELP program to facilitate the safe and efficient movement of people
and goods by minimizing traffic congestion, and improving the operation of
the highway system.
- The NYSDOT's H.E.L.P.
program has grown into one of the nation's largest and most successful
roadway service patrol programs.
- H.E.L.P. presently
provides motorist assistance to vehicles traveling on 1485 miles of
limited access interstate roadways, parkways, and expressways on Long
Island, in New York City, the Lower Hudson Valley, Buffalo, Rochester, and
the Albany Capital District.
- Currently, 100 service
trucks, including backup trucks, cover 25 distinct patrol areas, or beats.
- These trucks are operated
by NYSDOT employees or contracted to other service providers. The program
is coordinated and monitored by the Department's local Transportation
Management Centers (TMCs).
Have we done it? Have
we finally solved our morning commute problem?
Of course not – I wish such a thing were possible. We have, however, done what we do here at
Borough Hall every single day: made a small difference in the quality of life
of Staten Islanders. But we also
recognize that small differences become big differences if you can string
enough of them together, and that has become our mantra. We keep chipping away at obstacles using
every tool at our disposal, and we will keep doing so as long as we are blessed
to work in this stately building.