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5-1-1, initially designated for road weather information, is a transportation and traffic information telephone hotline in some regions of the United States and Canada. Travelers can dial the three-digit telephone number 5-1-1 on traditional landline telephones and most mobile phones. It is an N11 code of the North American Numbering Plan that are used for special services. The number code has also extended to be the default name of many state/provincial transportation department road conditions websites, such as Wisconsin's site.
Contents
- History and Implementation
- Active systems
- Virginia
- Tennessee
- Kentucky
- Florida
- Georgia
- New Hampshire
- New York
- Pennsylvania
- Wyoming
- West Virginia
- Local regions
- Elsewhere in the United States
- Implementation
- References
Some 5-1-1 services have a scope which is basically limited to information for drivers regarding road conditions and traffic. Other services provide this, but have a wider scope, also providing information on public transit, carpooling, etc.
5-1-1 services in the United States are organized by state or region. Because the associated websites are often a vital part of 5-1-1 services, this article has an extensive External Links section.
History and Implementation
As of March 2001, at least 300 telephone numbers existed for travel information systems in the United States. To overcome the confusion caused by this array of numbers, the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) petitioned the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for a national assignment of a single three-digit N11 dialing code. On July 21, 2000, the FCC assigned 511 as a nationwide telephone number for ITS traveler information, along with 2-1-1 for social services. Its use is being promoted by the USDOT's Intelligent Transport Systems initiative.
The first 511 traveler information system to launch was in the Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky metropolitan area in June 2001.
The first statewide 511 traveler information system was launched across the state of Nebraska in October 2001.
Eight states, from Alaska to Maine, pooled resources and expertise to develop the 511 voice-activated phone service for travelers. Led by the Iowa DOT, the multistate consortium received $700,000 from the Federal Highway Administration to help pay for system design and software development. Each state also provided a 20 percent matching fund, boosting total funds to nearly $900,000. In addition to Iowa, the participating states in the consortium (as of 2011) are Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Sacramento Area Council of Governments, and Vermont.
Individual states have the lead role in coordinating 511 deployments. National leadership is provided by the 511 Deployment Coalition. Led by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), and including travel information experts from more than 30 organizations, the Coalition has developed voluntary guidelines for state transportation agencies to follow when planning 511 service for their states or regions. Other leading member organizations of the Coalition include the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), the Intelligent Transportation Society of America (ITS America), and the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Active systems
Active 511 systems (in order of deployment date) as of January 31, 2010:
Virginia
The FCC designated 511 as the national traveler information number. Virginia’s 511 system began in the Shenandoah Valley in 2000 and went statewide in early 2005. Currently both the 511virginia.org website and calling 511 from any land line or mobile phone provides statewide travelling information. Alternatively, there is now a 511 VDOT app for iOS and Android devices.
Tennessee
Implemented in August 2006, Tennessee travelers have the option of accessing road and travel conditions at TN511.com or through the 511 phone service.
Kentucky
In Kentucky, 511 services cover traffic and weather conditions, and can also be heard on the radio on the AM dial (the Travelers' Information Station) and at 511.ky.gov.
Florida
Florida has an active 511 system that underwent an overhaul in 2009.
Georgia
This statewide Georgia Navigator system provides traffic, MARTA/GRTA and other public transport, rideshare, Clean Air Campaign, Atlanta and Savannah airport, Amtrak, Greyhound, weather and tourism information in an interactive voice response (IVR) format. Callers are also given the option of connecting to live operators at the Georgia Department of Transportation's Transportation Management Center in Atlanta. Connecting to operators allows users to report traffic accidents to the Georgia State Patrol or local police or sheriffs, or request motorist assistance from the Highway Emergency Response Operators (HERO) program. Callers can also connect to adjacent states' 5-1-1 systems, including North Carolina's.
In January 2011, the Georgia Department of Transportation launched a mobile application on the iPhone platform to provide iPhone users with a mobile option for up to the minute traffic information found on the website. The application also provides special offers and other information about businesses and organizations who participate in the program.
Georgia actually had a system for years before this, using only live operators, and the code *DOT (*368), which could not necessarily be used by those mobile phone users who were roaming from elsewhere, as these codes are specific to each phone company. A local 404 number in metro Atlanta and a toll-free 800 number were used for these and landline calls, and still serve as backup for mobile providers that fail to connect.
New Hampshire
The New Hampshire Department of Transportation has implemented a service that helps commuters and travelers access information regarding weather-related road conditions, construction and congestion, via the Web or mobile device 24/7. The site can be found at www.511nh.com. New Hampshire is part of an 8-state consortium that is sharing the cost to design and develop the system.
New York
511 New York is established and administered by the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT). Basic service was launched in the New York City metropolitan area in late 2008. Statewide coverage and more sophisticated services will be added throughout 2009. 511 NY – “Get Connected to Go” is the umbrella brand of The New York State Department of Transportation for traffic, transit and travel information. The 511 New York theme line is: Get Connected to Go. The tag line is: New York State’s Official Traffic and Travel Info Source. The credit line is: A Free Service of the New York State Department of Transportation.
In the New York metropolitan area 5-1-1 provides information on bus, subway, and commuter rail mass transit systems in addition to road conditions and traffic information.
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania's statewide 511 launched on September 1, 2009. The system provides up to date information on all the states interstate highways.
Wyoming
In the summer of 2007, the original vendor was removed and services were redesigned and improved using Meridian Environmental Technology. The effort to redesign and improve service undertaken [summer of 2007] to revamp WYDOT's 511 Travel Information telephone service is paying benefits this winter, based on recent customer feedback.
Some of the additional features are:
West Virginia
The West Virginia Department of Transportation's free 511 Traveler Information System provides real-time traffic information, including congestion, construction, lane closures, road conditions and severe weather information on all West Virginia interstates and other major highways. The resource is available 24 hours a day via phone by dialing 511 or online at WV511.org. WV 511 advisories also are available from the WV 511 Drive Safe mobile app and via statewide, regional and roadway-specific Twitter feeds. The public safety alerts (such as Amber Alerts and Silver Alerts) carried on 511 are voluntary, cooperative partnerships among law enforcement, WVDOT, other agencies and local broadcasters. WVDOT uses overhead electronic message signs and 511 to get public safety alerts out to the public. 511 was implemented in West Virginia in 2012.
Local regions
San Francisco
In addition to the phone service, travelers in the San Francisco Bay Area can access transit and traffic information on a website, which provides information on mass transit schedules and an interactive trip planner, which will provide an optimal routing between a given origin, destination, and optional time constraints. In addition, 511.org provides information on bicycling, ridesharing, and the toll road system FasTrak. 511.org is a service of the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, and was designed by the transportation engineering company Parsons Brinckerhoff, Farradyne (now Telvent Farradyne). The system had a fair amount of controversy when it was announced that it would use FasTrak electronic toll tags to track vehicles as they traversed Bay Area freeways. 511 has since stopped using FasTrak toll tag data to provide Driving times. Driving times are now derived from GPS probe vehicle-based traffic speed data that 511 purchases from INRIX, Inc.
In 2006, the Bay Area's transit coordinator signed an $11 million four-year contract with defense contractor Science Applications International Corporation to operate the local 511 system.
San Diego
Users of the San Diego area have access to road, transit, and other information via the phone and web. They can access transit information on a website, which provides information on mass transit schedules and an interactive trip planner, which will provide an optimal routing between a given origin, destination, and optional time constraints. In addition, 511sd.com provides information on bicycling, ridesharing, and the toll road system Fastrak. 511sd.com is a service of the San Diego Association of Governments, and was designed by the company ICx Technologies and PB Farradyne (now Telvent Farradyne).
Elsewhere in the United States
Similar services are operated in other cities and states; for example, the Minnesota Department of Transportation operates a website for traffic and road condition information. Central Florida is claimed to have the most-used 511 system in the nation, on a per capita basis.
Washington state and Oregon both operate their own 511 system. The Washington state 511 system has an option to transfer to the Oregon 511 system to help users in the Portland metropolitan area to access the right system for them.
See also External Links.
Implementation
The Intelligent Transportation Systems Society of Canada (ITS Canada) has brought together a consortium, the Canada 511 Consortium, to help get 5-1-1 service up and running in Canada.
In January 2005, the consortium filed an application to assign the 5-1-1 access code in Canada. It proposed that in addition to traffic, the number would report weather, which also has a major impact on traffic, particularly in a country with such harsh winters. The application was approved by the CRTC in Canada on July 28, 2006.
In March 2007, an article in Computing Canada said it was up to each individual province whether or not to launch a 5-1-1 system, but that not all provinces were eager to proceed.
In May 2008, an article in ComputerWorld Canada claimed that the 5-1-1 initiative "appears to have lost momentum".
British Columbia began loose implementation of 5-1-1 service in late 2009/early 2010. This replaced the interim mobile service provided by *4997 (*HWYS) which had been in place on Rogers, Telus Mobility and Bell Mobility. BC 5-1-1 service is available to Telus, Telus Mobility and Telus MiKE clients at this time. Full service NOT utilizing 5-1-1 is available via DriveBC (a government website/phone line) at www.drivebc.ca or by phone across North America at 1-800-550-4997 (HWYS).
Alberta unveiled its 5-1-1 road report service on February 4, 2013.
Active systems
Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario,Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and the Yukon Territory each have 5-1-1 systems. Most provinces and territories without 5-1-1 systems have other road information hotlines, accessible by dialing various phone numbers.