The North Carolina Board of Transportation recently approved a contract for Traveler’s Marketing LLC to oversee the sponsorship of the state’s Incident Management Assistance Motorists Patrol (IMAP) program.
The program was created after the 2014 Budget Bill included a provision for the board to study how the use of public funds for services provided by the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) could be reduced through the use of fees, sponsorship and privatization.
Trained NCDOT personnel, IMAP workers can help stranded motorists, clear the roadway during accidents and storms, and provide temporary traffic control to help keep the state’s roadways from being congested.
“This public-private partnership allows us to continue to provide this important service for travelers through our state while reducing NCDOT’s costs,” Rodger Rochelle, NCDOT’s director of Technical Services, said. “The trucks and uniforms will remain easily identifiable as IMAP, and the high level of service will be maintained.”
IMAP is similar to the department’s Sponsor-a-Highway program for trash and debris removal along the highway.
Under the Budget Bill, NCDOT can also pursue sponsorships for other operations, including rest areas, ferry system, highway beautification and weigh stations.
