The benefit-cost ratio for the safety service patrol (SSP) in Hampton Roads, Virginia was 4.71:1.
Experience of a Freeway SSP in the Hampton Roads, VA from 2005 to 2006.
Date Posted
05/10/2011
Hampton Roads, Virginia, United States
Hampton Roads,
Virginia,
United States
Identifier
2011-B00670
A Return on Investment Study of the Hampton Roads Safety Service Patrol Program
Summary Information
The safety service patrol (SSP) in Hampton Roads, Virginia, keeps travel lanes open for traffic by moving or helping to start stalled vehicles, removing debris from the roadway, and clearing traffic incidents. The Hampton Roads SSP assist motorists free of charge (to the drivers) by jump starting vehicles, providing gasoline, changing tires, etc. The SSP services approximately 80 miles on a 24-hour-per-day, 7-day-a-week basis. It patrols eight routes continuously and provides dispatch service on two routes. To justify funding the SSP, an evaluation was
A Return on Investment (ROI) study of the SSP in Hampton Roads, Virginia analyzed 33,877 incidents that had occurred during the evaluation period. The study includes a comparison of the average duration for incidents that occurred on SSP routes to those of similar incidents and conditions that had occurred on non-SSP routes.
METHODOLOGY
The study compared the “begin” and “end” times of incidents that had occurred on SSP routes to incidents of the same type, on similar routes and traffic conditions on non-SSP routes. Incidents on non-SSP routes receive assistance from the Virginia State Police (VSP). Records for incidents were obtained from the Hampton Roads SSP and the VSP computer-aided-dispatch (CAD) records.
FINDINGS
The findings show that the SSP in Hampton Roads provides large mobility benefits to the region by keeping lanes clear and open for traffic. The findings also show that routes having the largest benefit-cost ratios have highest traffic volume, as shown below.
METHODOLOGY
The study compared the “begin” and “end” times of incidents that had occurred on SSP routes to incidents of the same type, on similar routes and traffic conditions on non-SSP routes. Incidents on non-SSP routes receive assistance from the Virginia State Police (VSP). Records for incidents were obtained from the Hampton Roads SSP and the VSP computer-aided-dispatch (CAD) records.
FINDINGS
The findings show that the SSP in Hampton Roads provides large mobility benefits to the region by keeping lanes clear and open for traffic. The findings also show that routes having the largest benefit-cost ratios have highest traffic volume, as shown below.
- Overall benefit-cost ratio was 4.7:1.
- The 2 Outer and 2 Inner routes (I-264) had a benefit-cost ratio of 10.17:1.
- The Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel route (I-64 from 4th View Street to Armistead Avenue) had a benefit-cost ratio of 7.74:1.
- The Naval Base/Reversible Roadway route (I-64 and I-564) had a benefit-cost ratio of 6.46:1
A Return on Investment Study of the Hampton Roads Safety Service Patrol Program
A Return on Investment Study of the Hampton Roads Safety Service Patrol Program
Source Publication Date
06/02/2007
Publisher
Virginia Transportation Research Council
Taxonomy (ARC-IT)
Public Safety »
Roadway Service Patrols (PS08)
Goal Areas
Deployment Locations
