Upgraded 511 options expand personalized access to highway information

An upgrade to ITD’s 511 Traveler Information website last month takes the delivery of personalized highway information to a new level.

ITD began testing technology in late March that enables travelers to receive information about highway conditions, delays and closures through automated alerts from Twitter. The system now is available for public use.

That new option complements an upgrade earlier this year that introduced direct highway notifications through text messages to cell phones or e-mail alerts to computers. To take advantage of those alerts, users established a free account on the 511 site that allowed them to designate route preferences.

The new option does not require travelers to establish accounts, but they must be registered with Twitter to receive “tweets.”

To take advantage of the Twitter-based automatic reports, motorists will need to visit the high bandwidth site on ITD’s 511 page (511.idaho.gov). Reports are available on a county basis. Users can designate one or more counties for which to receive notices about incidents that could impact their travel.

They also can choose a statewide option that delivers information about blockages or closures and active Amber Alerts.

ITD has delivered condensed versions of news releases or other notices through Twitter for some time, but the new system does not require a person to create each message. Tweets are generated automatically when new information is entered into the 511 system, explains Tony Ernest, manager of ITD’s 511 system.

The three new information delivery systems – e-mail, text messaging and Twitter alerts – reflect ITD’s commitment to keep motorists safer and better informed of highway and weather conditions. Providing that information on a timely basis allows motorists to make wise travel decisions, Ernest says.

“We’re trying to get critical roadway information to as many people as possible, as quickly as possible,” Ernest said. “We want to make it available in a format that is the most useful.”

ITD joins only Minnesota and Iowa on the CARS (Condition Acquisition Reporting System) coalition that offer automated Twitter feeds. Idaho’s system is continually evolving and improving, Ernest says. It remains one of the most robust, feature-laden systems in the country.

Since the 511 Traveler Service website and phone system are intended to improve safety, motorists are encouraged to check for conditions before operating a vehicle or entrust a passenger with the task. It is unsafe to check mobile devices while driving, and will become illegal statewide on July 1. For your own safety, check before you go.

In February, ITD introduced new options that let travelers monitor average traffic speed on Interstate 84 between Caldwell and the Gowen Road Interchange and from the Wye to downtown Boise using the high bandwidth site for computers. A detailed map for those sections of interstate show the relative congestion at any given time.

The map shows two “bands” along the interstate to indicate eastbound and westbound traffic lanes. The bands are displayed in one of three colors, according to the relative highway speeds:

  • Green for free-flowing traffic
  • Yellow for moderate congestion (speeds of 20-40 mph), and
  • Red for heavily congested problem areas (20 mph or slower)

Slowly dragging the computer mouse over those bands also shows the current, average speed of vehicles traveling east or west.

The color-coded option, which can be turned on or off at the discretion of users, is available for all highways within ITD’s jurisdiction.

Users who want congestion reports will find the road condition option automatically de-selected on the 511 map.

ITD also improved access to highway reports for commercial vehicle operators earlier this year, adding a new high bandwidth version of the trucker’s page. It loads faster on computers that have access to high-speed Internet.

Published 4-6-2012