Free service
Free roadside assistance in
New York: HELP.
NYSDOT's Highway Emergency Local Patrol program provides free assistance on selected highway beats in seven New York metropolitan areas.
Official sources checked October 6, 2026HELP vehicles patrol their assigned beats and may be dispatched by police or a transportation management center. NYSDOT does not publish a HELP request phone number; call 911 for an emergency.
Selected routes on Long Island, in New York City and the Lower Hudson Valley, and around Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse and Albany.
Primarily weekday morning and afternoon commute periods; exact times vary by regional beat.
At a glance
Key facts about HELP
This record separates the program operator, request method and actual patrol coverage so motorists can see what the published service does—and what it does not promise.
- Official program
- New York HELP Program
- Operating agency
- New York State Department of Transportation
- Published cost
- Free service
- Service area
- Selected routes on Long Island, in New York City and the Lower Hudson Valley, and around Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse and Albany.
- Request or dispatch route
- HELP vehicles patrol their assigned beats and may be dispatched by police or a transportation management center. NYSDOT does not publish a HELP request phone number; call 911 for an emergency.
- Information checked
- October 6, 2026
Operator and base
Who runs HELP
New York State Department of Transportation administers or operates this public motorist-assistance program. The service works through mobile patrol vehicles and traffic-management dispatch rather than as a repair shop that motorists visit.
The official program material reviewed for this page does not publish a public walk-in patrol base. Use the request or dispatch method above rather than traveling to an agency office for roadside help.
Patrol footprint
Where and when the service operates
Selected routes on Long Island, in New York City and the Lower Hudson Valley, and around Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse and Albany.
Primarily weekday morning and afternoon commute periods; exact times vary by regional beat.
The operating agency publishes coverage as a corridor, route or patrol-area description rather than a guaranteed pickup radius. A vehicle inside the described area is not guaranteed an available unit.
Published assistance
What HELP can provide
These services are summarized from the operating agency's current public information. The attending operator decides what is safe and available at the scene.
- Flat-tire change
- One gallon of fuel
- Vehicle fluids
- Battery jump-start
- Minor repairs that can safely be completed roadside
Before relying on it
Coverage and service limits
- NYSDOT does not guarantee that HELP will reach a stranded motorist.
- Coverage is limited to assigned beats and operating periods, not every New York road.
- If HELP is not present, NYSDOT advises contacting a roadside provider or 911 as appropriate and remaining in the vehicle when safe.
If you are stranded
What to do before help arrives
These steps combine the program's published request guidance with basic roadside-safety precautions. Conditions at the scene always take priority.
- 01
Move as far away from live traffic as safely possible and switch on the vehicle's hazard lights.
- 02
Use the published request method for this program: HELP vehicles patrol their assigned beats and may be dispatched by police or a transportation management center. NYSDOT does not publish a HELP request phone number; call 911 for an emergency.
- 03
Call 911 for a crash, injury, fire, vehicle in a live lane or any other immediate danger.
Primary-source record
Check the operating agency
Routes, hours and program rules can change. Use the official sources below for the latest operating information.
