H-GAC's regional incident management activities include the Gulf Coast Regional Tow and Go Program, and the Harris County Sheriff’s Office Motorist Assistance Program and Incident Management Unit. These activities operate out of Houston TranStar, the Regional Transportation Management Center. The Tow and Go program is a “no cost” towing program to remove motorists who are stalled on the freeway to a safe location. The Incident Management Unit authorizes the tows using the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) Freeway Closed Caption Television cameras at Houston TranStar. Since the Tow and Go program began on May 1, 2018, there have been more than 143,000 “no cost” tows with an average incident clearance time of 16 minutes and 33 seconds.

H-GAC recommends entering into an Advance Funding Agreement with TxDOT to continue the activities in the Gulf Coast Regional Tow and Go Program and Regional Incident Management. Funds from this agreement would be used in future program expansion to other freeways in the region while continuing current operations on 256 center line miles of freeways in the City of Houston, unincorporated Harris County, Bellaire, Humble, Jersey Village, La Porte, Pasadena, and Webster.

Federal – Surface Transportation Block Grant

Request authorization to enter into Advance Funding Agreement with the Texas Department of Transportation in the amount of $8,000,000 for regional incident management activities. (Staff Contact: Craig Raborn)