State Farm Sponsors Local Travel Time Assistance Program for the New York State Department of Transportation
Insurance Company Logos to Adorn Popular HELP Trucks
ALBANY, NY, Jan. 21 - New York State Department of
Transportation (NYSDOT) Acting Commissioner Stanley Gee announced
recently that, beginning on January 1, 2010, State Farm Insurance
will sponsor the Highway Emergency Local Patrol (HELP) traveler
assistance service. The sponsorship agreement will bring up to
$10.8 million to New York State over the next five years.
The two-year commitment includes an option to renew for up to
three additional years, for approximately $2 million per year. In
addition to decaling 87 existing HELP trucks with State Farm logos,
branded signage will be installed along the patrolled highways to
inform motorists of the service.
The program was favorably received, and in a release to the
New York press, Governor David Paterson said, "I am pleased that we
have been able to work collaboratively with State Farm Insurance to
come up with such a unique private-public agreement to allow
sponsorship of New York's HELP program. In light of the current
economic hardship New York is facing we need to continue devising
creative new revenue streams such as this one."
Acting Commissioner Gee said, "This sponsorship agreement
brings two distinct benefits to New Yorkers by bringing revenue to
New York State and by providing an extremely valuable safety
service that also reduces traffic congestion on some of the State's
busiest highways. Governor Paterson is committed to finding
innovative ways to support state services and partnering with State
Farm on our HELP program does just that. With this collaborative
effort, New York joins other states that have already successfully
implemented similar programs."
Federal Highway Administration New York Division Administrator
Jeffrey W. Kolb adds, "By helping us to keep America's roads safe,
partnerships like this are a great way to begin the new year.
America's roads are safer now than they've been in a generation,
and efforts like this one will help make 2010 the safest
yet."
State Farm Vice President of Operations Mehler said, "State
Farm's support of this program underscores our commitment to auto
and highway safety. The HELP program aligns with our good neighbor
philosophy to make our communities stronger."
Since June 2006, the New York State Thruway Authority and the
Department of Transportation have partnered to provide Highway
Emergency Local Patrol (HELP) service trucks within the Albany
Division of the Thruway, from Interchange 23 (Albany/I-787) to
Interchange 25 (Schenectady/I-890), and on I-890, from Thruway
Interchange 25 to Highbridge Road, to assist motorists with minor
car problems free of charge or call for a tow truck if the HELP
truck cannot assist in the situation.
Between the hours of 6:30 a.m. and 9:30 a.m., and 3:00 p.m.
and 7:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, HELP trucks assist disabled
vehicles. If the HELP truck worker is unable to get the motorist
underway within 15 minutes, direct communication is made between
the HELP trucks and the Authority's Thruway Communications Center
so that disabled vehicles are taken care of in an efficient manner.
Expedient response time is in line with the Authority's mission to
report and clear incidents and accidents in a safe and efficient
manner in order to have the least impact possible on the heavy
traffic flow.
Thruway Authority Executive Director Fleischer said, "Since
2006, the Authority has been partnering with NYSDOT to make the
HELP truck program available on portions of the Thruway in an
effort to provide additional assistance for motorists experiencing
car troubles. Providing quicker, more efficient response times to
incidents on the roadway helps to reduce congestion on the System
and thereby reduce the likelihood of secondary accidents, which
helps in preserving the Thruway's excellent safety record."
NYSDOT's HELP program, established in 1994, has grown into one
of the nation's largest and most successful roadway service patrol
programs, aiding more than 85,000 motorists each year statewide.
The program significantly decreases motorist delay and increases
motorist safety by providing emergency roadside service to disabled
vehicles on select high-volume, limited-access roadways during
morning and evening rush hours.
Additionally, HELP patrols are available to support the
management and clearance of major incidents, such as roadway
closures due to traffic accidents, and drivers are certified in
CPR.
A total of 99 HELP trucks service stranded motorists in
Buffalo, Rochester and the Capital Region, as well as on Long
Island, in the lower Hudson Valley and in New York City. Trucks
that operate in New York City are not included in the State Farm
sponsorship agreement. The HELP truck program costs about $10
million per year to operate.
Travelers Marketing, a national sponsorship and advertising
firm focused on the transportation industry, first created these
sponsorship programs in Massachusetts in 2003. New York is the
fifth state to take advantage of the Safety Patrol sponsorship
program and is the largest such sponsored program to date. The
NYSDOT HELP program being sponsored by an auto insurance company is
an example of Travelers Marketing's unique approach to
public/private partnerships, each designed to improve
transportation safety while simultaneously promoting the shared
interests of both the DOT and the sponsor.
To obtain photographs and video footage of HELP trucks in
action, visit http://www.biglerproductions.com/demo/NYS_DOT_HELP.html.
Contacts:
Sam McClain
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407.456.1917
47 Church St.
Wellesley, MA 02482
Deborah Sturm Rausch
Director of Communications
NYSDOT
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50 Wolf Road
Albany, NY 12232
About State Farm®:
State Farm insures more cars and homes than any other insurer
in the U.S., is the leading insurer of watercraft and is also a
leading insurer in Canada. State Farm's 17,700 agents and 68,600
employees serve 81 million policies and accounts - more than 78.7
million auto, fire, life and health policies in the United States
and Canada, and more than 1.9 million bank accounts. State Farm
Mutual Automobile Insurance Company is the parent of the State Farm
family of companies. State Farm is ranked No. 31 on the Fortune 500
list of largest companies. For more information, please visit www.statefarm.com or in Canada
www.statefarm.ca.
About Travelers Marketing:
Travelers Marketing is the industry leader in developing
transportation sponsorship and marketing programs such as Safety
Patrol Sponsorships, Bridge Sponsorships, Toll Plaza Signage,
Service Plaza Advertising, Rest Area Sponsorships, Toll Free Event
Promotions and various jurisdiction specific applications.
Travelers Marketing's sponsorship programs are widely embraced by
transportation professionals and public officials as an innovative
approach to provide alternative funding for demonstrably effective
highway safety programs. For more information, please visit www.travelersmarketing.com.
About NYSDOT:
In 1967 the New York State Department of Transportation
(NYSDOT) was formed to manage the state's complex transportation
system. The state and local highway system supports more than 100
billion vehicle miles annually. The total system encompasses more
than 113,000 highway miles and more than 17,300 bridges. NYSDOT
manages an extensive 4,600-mile rail network over which 42 million
tons of equipment, raw materials, manufactured goods and produce
are shipped each year, and 513 public and private aviation
facilities through which more than 31 million people travel each
year. The Department also has oversight of many of New York State's
ports and more than 130 public transit operators, serving some 5.2
million passengers each day. For more information, please visit www.nysdot.gov.
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