N.Y. expands free roadside HELP program

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Nysdot Help LogoFree roadside assistance has been expanded to the Syracuse, New York, area.

The state’s Highway Emergency Local Patrol, or HELP, patrols during rush hours to offer minor repairs to stranded motorists, provide traffic control at incidents and clear minor wrecks.

The New York State Department of Transportation service will have two trucks on the highways in Onondaga County from 6:30 to 9:30 a.m. and from 3 to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. They will cover 69 miles of roadway on specific routes.

Statewide, the HELP program now has 80 trucks to patrol 1,432 miles of highway, averaging more than 5,000 assists each month, NYSDOT says.

The service is also offered in the Capital District, Rochester, Buffalo, Lower Hudson Valley, Long Island and New York City.