City of San Antonio - File #: 19-6525

• File #: 19-6525
• Type: Capital Improvements
• In control: City Council A Session
• On agenda: 2/13/2020
• Posting Language: Ordinance approving three Interlocal Agreements with the Texas Department of Transportation, approving payment in the amount not to exceed $897,750.00 to TxDOT to contribute toward the State’s FY 2019, FY 2020, and FY 2021 Safety Service Patrol Program funded by Advanced Transportation District funds authorized in the FY 2019 and FY 2020 adopted budgets located citywide. [Roderick Sanchez, Assistant City Manager; Razi Hosseini, Interim Director, Transportation & Capital Improvements]

Date	Ver.	Action By	Action	Result
2/13/2020	1	City Council A Session	adopted	Pass

DEPARTMENT: Transportation & Capital Improvements


DEPARTMENT HEAD: Razi Hosseini, P.E., R.P.L.S.


COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: Citywide


SUBJECT:

Interlocal Agreements: Safety Service Patrol Program


SUMMARY:

An ordinance authorizing the execution of three Interlocal Agreements between the City of San Antonio and the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), authorizing payment in the amount not to exceed $897,750.00 to TxDOT to contribute toward the State's FY 2019, FY 2020 and FY 2021 Safety Service Patrol Program funded by Advanced Transportation District funds authorized in the FY 2019 and FY 2020 adopted budgets located citywide.


BACKGROUND INFORMATION:

The Highway Emergency Response Operation (HERO) program, also known as Safety Service Patrol (SSP) program, for this region was first discussed by a task force of elected officials and staff from San Antonio representing the City of San Antonio, Bexar County, the Chamber of Commerce and the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT). The task force visited the Houston area in April 2016 to learn more about traffic incident management (TIM) and "quick clearance" activities. This task force held subsequent meetings to begin advancing certain TIM strategies for the San Antonio region, including a jointly-funded HERO program.

HERO-type services are provided in all major metropolitan areas of Texas except San Antonio. Many similar programs have documented significant benefits for improving travel time reliability, quick clearance of minor crashes and stalled/abandoned vehicles and reducing secondary crashes. HERO operators constantly patrol predefined routes and are often the first responder to the scene for freeway incidents providing fuel, tire change assistance, or a cell phone call to motorists in a stalled or broken-down vehicle. In addition, HERO operators can quickly unblock travel lanes by pushing, pulling, or dragging vehicles off the roadway to safer location. The program also supports first ...