Access to 511 traveler information systems remains limited. Telephone services for travelers provide real-time information about work zones, traffic incidents, and other causes of congestion. They allow travelers to make more informed decisions about their travel routes or modes and increase safety by helping motorists avoid areas with congestion or incidents. The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) petitioned the Federal Communications Commission in 1999 for a three-digit dialing code for travel information and was assigned 511 in 2000. In 2001, the Cincinnati, OH, area became the first location in the country to use 511 for travel information. Why is 511 needed? Before the 511 dialing code was assigned for travel information, more than 300 different telephone numbers provided travel information in the United States. A test drive in 1999 showed that 11 different numbers were required to access travel information on a trip from Washington, DC, to New York, NY. As 10-digit phone numbers and new area codes proliferate, a single, easy-to-remember number will help local and interstate travelers and shippers avoid delays and save time.
Telephone services for travelers provide real-time information about work zones, traffic incidents, and other causes of congestion. They allow travele...
"511 New York was deployed as a free, comprehensive travel information system geared to meet the multimodal needs of commuters, long-distance and loca...
Links with this icon indicate that you are leaving a Bureau of Transportation
Statistics (BTS)/National Transportation Library (NTL)
Web-based service.
Thank you for visiting.
You are about to access a non-government link outside of
the U.S. Department of Transportation's National
Transportation Library.
Please note: While links to Web sites outside of DOT are
offered for your convenience, when you exit DOT Web sites,
Federal privacy policy and Section 508 of the Rehabilitation
Act (accessibility requirements) no longer apply. In
addition, DOT does not attest to the accuracy, relevance,
timeliness or completeness of information provided by linked
sites. Linking to a Web site does not constitute an
endorsement by DOT of the sponsors of the site or the
products presented on the site. For more information, please
view DOT's Web site linking policy.
To get back to the page you were previously viewing, click
your Cancel button.
United States Department of Transportation
[PDF-288.14 KB]
