11:40 AM CST on Sunday, February 20, 2005

By Jason Whitely / 11News

Mayor Bill White announced more changes Friday in his controversial Safe Clear towing program. The program will now be linked with the county's successful MAP or Motorist Assistance Program.

KHOU

The latest changes are all part of a compromise reached by the mayor and State Senator John Whitmire.

Whitmire had filed a bill in the state legislature to kill the program, but he agreed to back off after meeting with White earlier this week.

“This is another important step to make our highways safer and reduce traffic congestion,” said Mayor White. “We are working with our public and private partners on this expansion, and with the City’s SafeClear towing program we are making real progress that Houston drivers are noticing.”

There's no question, the program will be a big help for Houston motorists. MAP trucks will more than double in number from nine to 19.

The bigger fleet will respond to more disabled cars on Houston freeways, MAP or SafeClear tow trucks, whichever is needed.

The proposal focuses on several areas of cooperation. They are:

•A single MAP dispatching system in the TranStar facility with the Houston Police Department, the Sheriff’s Department, Metro Police patrol units and SafeClear tow operators.

•Increasing the number of MAP patrols from the current nine vehicles to 19. Initially Metro Police will staff the 10 additional vehicles during peak traffic shifts of 5:30-9:30 a.m. and 3-7 p.m. weekdays. Metro Police and HPD will work together to ensure that this additional deployment will be on those freeway segments with the highest volume of traffic incidents and responses.

•Vehicles will be donated by the Houston Automobile Dealers Association, as they have done in the existing MAP program.

•Implementing a towing assistance program funded by Metro for $30 per tow, not to exceed $442,000 per year within the SafeClear service area. Additional funding to bring the total up to $600,000 will be available for similar services outside the city limits based on agreements with those jurisdictions. Metro will also partially fund the free tows provided in the city under the SafeClear program. These tows will be limited to the peak periods of Metro’s increased MAP deployment. They will include short tows to a safe location off the freeways and assisting motorists with minor problems.

Metro has agreed to pitch in $1 million to help fund the changes.

The latest change caught SafeClear wreckers by surprise.

"That's the reason we were moving them to begin with was because doing repairs on the freeway, working on cars on the freeway, even putting gas in a car on the freeway is extremely dangerous," said Ken Ulmer, a SafeClear wrecker. "It contributes to traffic congestion."

Ulmer has made a substantial investment in SafeClear. He paid the city $65,000 for the right to tow on a 15-mile stretch of freeway and another $400,000 to buy six new wreckers.

If MAP trucks respond to some disabled vehicles, Ulmer will have even more trouble making his investment pay off.

"It is definitely not profitable for us. We have not made any profit on this program whatsoever," Ulmer complained.

"Uh, well, you know our job isn't to make money for somebody. I mean, our job is to help motorists and move the traffic on the freeways," said Mayor White.

Mayor White had to defend his idea of incorporating MAP with SafeClear, now saying repair work on the side of the freeway is OK.

"You use common sense to do what's fastest and most effective for the vehicles. If somebody could put in a gallon of gasoline that's a lot faster than moving the vehicle if it can be done safely," said the mayor.

Ulmer's disappointed he and his colleagues weren't consulted about the changes since the industry has made such a big financial investment.

While they believe in the program, they're unsure how long they can afford to stay in it.

The new MAP trucks will be on the road in about a month.