This year’s award season has made its way to Riverside County. Every year, Freeway Service Patrol (FSP) drivers gather for the annual FSP Driver Awards – where five outstanding drivers are recognized for their efforts and the exceptional service they provided to stranded motorists over the past year. By providing free emergency assistance such as jump-starts, fuel, flat tire assistance, and towing to CHP-approved locations, FSP drivers help reduce traffic delays and secondary accidents.

Since the program began operation in 1993, FSP drivers have assisted more than a million motorists on Riverside County’s busiest highways. FSP tow trucks patrol the entirety of Riverside County’s SR-91, I-15 from SR-60 south to SR- 79/Temecula Parkway, SR- 60 from Milliken Avenue to Theodore Street, and the entirety of Riverside County’s I-215 during peak commute times. FSP also provides support for the SR-91 and I-15 Express Lanes and during special construction activity.

This year’s award winners demonstrated exemplary service that has become a hallmark of the FSP program and its drivers. Without further ado, this year’s winners are:

After receiving assistance, motorists are asked to complete a satisfaction survey, and the glowing remarks speak for themselves. “My saving grace, I was panicking really bad and their helpfulness made the stressful situation better. This was a blessing thank you,” says Maria C. After receiving assistance for a flat tire, Bryan K. had this to say, “We were pleasantly surprised to have help find us within minutes of a tire blowout. He had us safely on our way faster than we could have imagined. Thank you so much. Faith in humanity restored!”

The Riverside County FSP program is funded by Caltrans and RCTC, providing the roadside assistance to motorists free of charge, and is consistently ranked as one of the highest benefit-cost FSP programs across California – providing substantial service to cost efficiency. The program operates Monday through Friday (except on some holidays) from 6:00 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. for the morning commute and from 1:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. for the afternoon commute. Friday afternoon service operates from 11:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. FSP also operates mid-day service and weekend service on select beats.

To learn more about the FSP program, please visit: www.rctc.org/fsp

Awards season is upon us! RCTC held the annual Drivers’ Award meeting to celebrate the top Freeway Service Patrol (FSP) drivers of 2023. The awards recognized five drivers who provided exceptional service to stranded motorists on the busiest highways in western Riverside County. The entire team of FSP drivers also received recognition for their daily efforts to help keep commuters moving and traffic flowing.

The Freeway Service Patrol – or FSP – is a partnership between RCTC, the California Highway Patrol, and Caltrans to help stranded motorists with quick roadside assistance. These rapid assists keep motorists safe and allow traffic to keep flowing during peak commute times. From flat tires and dead batteries to overheated engines and empty gas tanks, FSP drivers come to the rescue to make these repairs and more at no charge. If they can’t get you back on the road, they will tow your vehicle to a safer location off the freeway.

Without further ado, here are the FSP drivers who won top honors:

FSP drivers make a substantial impact on the lives of western Riverside County motorists. In 2023 alone, the program helped over 56,000 county motorists that were stalled on local highways. The program was created in 1993 and marked 30 years of service in 2023 – assisting over a million motorists since its inception.

Motorist Alfonso R. shared some kind words about Carlos Castillo, this year’s Top Driver. “Carlos Castillo was incredibly helpful. Extremely safe. And very efficient. Thank you, Carlos, for helping me and my family! The service was amazing!” he said.

Driver of Excellence awardee David Camberos was also praised. Jenna G. said David, “was such a blessing. Saw us on the road and immediately helped. He was very kind, knowledgeable, and provided calmness in our chaos.”

And, of course, the People’s Choice winner, Robert Torres, received his share of praise from the public. Motorist Kayla J. had this to say, “Over the top professional and very helpful, if I were to get help again, I would love for Robert to be the one to help us.” Motorist Daniel T. shared, “Beyond exceptional professionalism, I was back on the road in less than five minutes. Robert was very helpful and had an immediate solution to my situation at hand.”

The Riverside County FSP program is ranked as one of the highest benefit/cost FSP programs across the state, meaning that it provides a lot of bang for the buck. The program is funded by Caltrans and RCTC and operates on the 91, on I-15 between the 60 and the 79, on the 60 from I-15 to Theodore Street, and the full length of I-215.

FSP operates Monday through Friday (except on some holidays) from 6:00 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. for the morning commute and from 1:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. for the afternoon commute. Friday afternoon service operates from 11:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. FSP also operates mid-day service and weekend service on select beats.

To learn more about this popular program, visit www.rctc.org/fsp.

The Riverside County Transportation Commission (RCTC) is proud to be a steward of public funds and takes its job seriously. The Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) awarded RCTC the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting for its Fiscal Year 2022 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report.

RCTC has been recognized with this honor for 30 consecutive years, and this prestigious award is a testament to our finance department’s dedication to transparency and precision in financial management.

GFOA’s recognition highlights the Commission’s commitment to transparency, accuracy, and accountability in financial reporting as we continue to uphold stringent financial control and transparency measures to ensure responsible management of public funds.

Design-build refers to a process in which a single entity designs and builds a project. This approach typically leads to faster project delivery, greater teamwork and communication, and a single point of responsibility, compared to the traditional design-bid-build approach, in which one firm designs the project and another firm builds the project.

In addition to the new lanes, the project widened 11 bridges, including the large Santa Ana River Bridge, and added six sound walls. The design-builder used a number of innovative methods to deliver the project:

• An overhead conveyor belt, which carried concrete from the roadside batch plant, over the I-15 travel lanes, to the highway median. From there, the concrete was transferred to trucks for paving operations. This saved time, reduced construction related traffic congestion by eliminating the need for trucks to cross live traffic, and enhanced safety.
• Pre-cast girders were fabricated to build the giant Santa Ana River Bridge. Girders measuring 170’ long and 9’ tall were manufactured off-site and moved by truck at night with CHP escorts to the bridge location. Once on site, large gantry cranes carried the girders along the 1,800’ bridge span and lowered them precisely in place. This approach greatly reduced the environmental impacts to the Santa Ana River below, saved time, and reduced traffic congestion by eliminating the need for lengthy lane closures.
• Dynamic express lane pricing was implemented, in which toll rates change up to every three minutes to reflect real-time traffic conditions, to ensure smooth traffic flow and reliable travel times.

Funding for the project was provided by Measure A, the voter-approved half-cent sales tax for transportation improvements in Riverside County, and federal sources. Toll revenue is being used to repay a $152 million federal transportation infrastructure loan and to operate and maintain the lanes. During design and construction, an estimated 3,300 jobs were created.

As of September 2022, the 15 Express Lanes have 12,525 customer accounts. Motorists who carpool or drive zero-emission vehicles receive discounts, which promotes ridesharing and can help improve the region’s air quality. Express buses are able to use the lanes at no added cost to riders, further encouraging ridesharing. The project is helping to create greater mobility, which enhances the quality of living for Riverside County motorists, their families, and their communities.

Get a flat tire, need a battery jump, or did your car overheat? FSP drivers come to the rescue at no charge to make these speedy repairs and more. If they can’t get you back on the road, they will tow your vehicle to a designated CHP location.

Now, without further ado…the envelopes please!
• In the Top Driver Award category, the award goes to Alexandro Alvarado of Coastal PrideTowing.
• In the Driver of Excellence category, John Materne of Pepe’s Towing won top honors.
• Carlos Castillo Jr. of Royal Coaches won top honors in the Driver of Excellence category.
• The Rookie of the Year award went to Manuel Gebara Jr. of Pepe’s Towing.
• And the People’s Choice award was presented to David Camberos of Pepe’s Towing

FSP drivers affect the lives of western Riverside County motorists every day. Sherry W. rated John Materne “an 11 out of 10,” noting that she “had a tire blow out and had pulled over with cars zipping by me. He saw me and pulled up behind me, gave me the brochure and offered to change my tire. He did so quickly and efficiently. I was in a dangerous area and was so thankful.”

The Riverside County FSP program is ranked as one of the highest benefit/cost FSP programs in the state and is funded by Caltrans and RCTC, with additional funding from the Mobile Source Air Pollution Reduction for weekend service. FSP operates Monday through Friday (except on some holidays) from 5:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. for the morning commute and from 2:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. for the afternoon commute. Friday afternoon service operates from 12:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Midday and weekend service is also available on select highway segments.

FSP in Riverside County operates on the 91, on I-15 between the 60 and the 79, on the 60 from I-15 to Theodore Street, and on the full length of I-215.

For more information about the FSP program, visit www.rctc.org/fsp

The Point: RCTC salutes Freeway Service Patrol drivers who provide exceptional service to drivers in need  

Being stuck on the side of the road with a flat tire or dead battery can ruin an otherwise perfectly sunny day. The Riverside County Transportation Commission administers a Freeway Service Patrol program in partnership with Caltrans and the California Highway Patrol to help stranded motorists on busy highways in western Riverside County. From taping radiator hoses and changing tires, to towing you to the nearest CHP-approved location, this free service keeps traffic moving and helps prevent secondary accidents.

Every year, RCTC staff reviews the prior year assists and data-entry statistics and recognizes exemplary FSP drivers based on their stellar performance and positive reviews from motorists. Although there was no red carpet or gold statuettes, the following FSP drivers were honored in a virtual ceremony with certificates and pre-delivered lunchtime barbecue. The 2020 award winners were:

• David Camberos (Pepe’s Towing), Top Driver Award – 3,870 assists with an impressive 0% data-entry error rate
• Alex Alvarado (Coastal Pride Towing), Driver of Excellence Award – 2,998 assists with a data-entry error rate of 0.9%
• Marquis Jones (Coastal Pride Towing), Rookie of the Year Award – 3,058 assists for his first year
• Manuel Gonzalez-Moreno (Pepe’s Towing), Most Assists Award – 2,679 assists
• George Ballesteros (Pepe’s Towing), Public Choice Award – 48 positive comments

“Freeway Service Patrol drivers are heroes to many stranded motorists who live or drive in Riverside County,” said RCTC Chair and Palm Desert Mayor Pro Tem Jan Harnik. “Our FSP drivers are quick to respond, are friendly, and keep our roads safe. It is impressive to see the number of people our FSP drivers helped in 2020. Each of those assists mean the world to the motorists in need,” she said.

The FSP program is funded by Caltrans and RCTC, with additional funding from the Mobile Source Air Pollution Reduction for special weekend service. FSP operates Monday through Friday (except on some holidays) from 5:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. for the morning commute, and from 2:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. for the afternoon commute. Friday afternoon service begins early from 12:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Learn more about FSP.

Under Executive Director Anne Mayer’s leadership, 64 percent of RCTC’s workforce is women. In the past two years, women earned 85 percent of the promotions within the organization. RCTC supports its employees by encouraging them to pursue continued education in transportation-related fields and to support WTS-IE and its programs.

Also during the event, chapter members awarded scholarships totaling $45,000 to 14 young women to help further their educational progress in careers related to science, technology, engineering, and math. The scholarship recipients are studying civil engineering, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, urban and regional planning, public policy, and computer engineering at area universities.

WTS-IE was formed in 2005 with an initial group of 20 members. The chapter has grown to more than 200 members across the transportation industry.

The Point: Perris Valley Line wins prestigious Transit Project of the Year from the California Transportation Foundation.

Nearly one year after the inaugural train departed the new Perris-South station on June 6, 2016, RCTC’s Perris Valley Line Metrolink Extension project was recognized as California’s 2017 Transit Project of the Year by the California Transportation Foundation (CTF).

Ridership has steadily grown on the 91/Perris Valley Line, which includes new stations at Riverside-Hunter Park/UCR, Moreno Valley/March Field, Perris-Downtown, and Perris-South.  These stations serve Riverside County residents commuting to Los Angeles and Orange Counties but also support major employers within Riverside County such as UC-Riverside, March Air Reserve Base, and businesses and government employers in downtown Riverside.

Perris Valley Line is a 24-mile extension of Metrolink’s highly-popular 91 Line service, utilizing tracks owned by RCTC paralleling Interstate 215 known as the San Jacinto Branch Line.  Included in the voter-approved Measure A half-cent sales tax expenditure plan, Perris Valley Line is a key component of RCTC’s strategy to reduce highway congestion and save time for Riverside County residents.  It is also the first expansion of Southern California’s five-county commuter rail system in more than two decades, marking a historic moment for public transportation in Southern California and Riverside County.  A $75 million Small Starts grant from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), along with funds from the California Transportation Commission (CTC) helped match local taxpayers’ Measure A investment.

The CTF award reflects statewide recognition of RCTC’s efforts to provide more mobility options for the residents and businesses of Riverside County. 

Accepting the CTF award in Sacramento was RCTC First Vice Chair Dana Reed (Indian Wells), RCTC Commissioner and Metrolink Chair Andrew Kotyuk (San Jacinto), and RCTC Deputy Executive Director John Standiford.

Ride 91/Perris Valley Line at a discount!

For six months, beginning May 25, 2017, passengers using one of RCTC’s four new stations on the 91/Perris Valley Line (Riverside-Hunter Park/UCR, Moreno Valley/March Field, Perris-Downtown, and Perris-South) are eligible for discounted tickets.  Discounts are also available for students, youth, and seniors.