The Ventura County Transportation Commission (VCTC) will extend its Freeway Service Patrol (FSP) to a segment of U.S. 101 in Ventura during the 12 days of the Ventura County Fair.

One FSP tow truck will patrol U.S. 101 from Johnson Drive to State Route 33 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily starting Wednesday, Aug. 3, through Sunday, Aug. 14. The fair takes place at the Ventura County Fairgrounds, 10 W. Harbor Blvd. in Ventura.

The FSP program places roaming tow trucks along freeways with the goal of quickly getting disabled vehicles moving again at no cost to the motorists. Drivers provide such services as changing flat tires, providing a gallon of fuel and taping leaky hoses. The program aims to reduce congestion and prevent secondary accidents.

VCTC staff consulted with the California Highway Patrol (CHP) and the City of Ventura to determine the hours and location for the extended service during the fair, which draws tens of thousands of visitors each year. While many visitors take advantage of remote shuttle services provided around the community, parking and traffic challenges remain and have affected freeway operations in years past, particularly around California Street in Downtown Ventura.

FSP trucks currently operate along three segments of Ventura County highways during peak traffic periods Monday through Friday:

• US-101 from the Ventura County/Los Angeles County line to Camarillo Springs Road;
• US-101 from Camarillo Springs Road to Rice Avenue;
• CA-118 from Ventura/Los Angeles County line (Rocky Peak) to State Route 23.

Providing the service gives VCTC and CHP an opportunity to test FSP on a portion of U.S. 101 planned for coverage by a fourth beat. That beat is projected to start in early 2023.

VCTC launched the FSP program in March 2021. In its first year, FSP logged more than 3,000 motorist assists, including providing direct assistance to motorists more than 2,000 times.

“A freeway breakdown can be a very stressful experience, and we regularly receive positive comments from motorists who are grateful to have received FSP assistance,” said VCTC Executive Director Martin Erickson. “We are pleased to be able to offer this service to more people during the Ventura County Fair.”

More information about Freeway Service Patrol can be found at goventura.org/fsp.