Overview
This publication evaluates the effectiveness of GDOT’s Towing & Recovery Incentive Program (TRIP). TRIP was introduced in early 2008 to provide monetary incentives to qualified towing operators for the quick clearance of large commercial vehicle incidents. A TRIP certified towing operator receives an incentive payment if they arrive at the incident scene and open all lanes to traffic within timeframes set by the program. TRIP is a critical component to metropolitan Atlanta’s TIM quick clearance program. The report evaluates data from 2008 and 2009 and compares results to 2007 (pre-TRIP) data to estimate clearance time and costs savings. The average TRIP incident cost 71 percent less than a pre-TRIP incident and allowed the roadway to open 165 minutes sooner. A more conservative estimate in clearance time savings resulted in a cost-benefit ratio of nearly 11:1. Detailed discussion of program costs, incidents particulars, incident analysis methodology, and costs and benefits (monetary and nonmonetary) are provided.