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ITD's new 511 app has successful first week

The first week on the market proved quite successful for the latest ITD innovation – a 511 travel information app for smartphones.

The new app for iPhone and Android phone users rolled out April 1. By April 8, the 511 app had seen 2,399 new users since the initial release. Of that total, 1,124 use the Android operating system, and 1,275 use Apple iOS.

In addition, users gave the 511 app 4.6 stars out of 5 at the Google apps store. The Apple store is not yet displaying any user ratings for the application.

Here are a few of the comments received:

"Have waited for this. Have used Idaho 511 website for winter road conditions for a while, have wondered why it wasn't an app. Now it is, and it is great! So much easier to use than the website on a phone browser!" – Nathan Rowan

"App is very useful. I drive for a living & I like to know what conditions are in the areas I'm driving. This app shows me all the pertinent information I need to know." – Jim Steele

"Great initial release! Everything seems to work right and it has useful functions. I know this is meant strictly for ITD's infrastructure but heading into construction season made me think it would be awesome if ITD had future plans to incorporate county road districts information." – Scott Corley

"A necessity for Idaho Drivers. Works great." – Jason McGiffin

"Perfect. Have used the website via phone to check conditions, now the app makes it that much easier. " – Anonymous Google user

"The new smartphone app is a huge upgrade compared to our old 511 mobile phone website," said Tony Ernest, ITD's traveler services coordinator. "It has more information, a map-based screen, and a much better user interface. This gives Idaho's smartphone and tablet users their traveler information through the kind of quality tool they expect with today's information technology."

Links to download the free 511 app for both types of phone may be found on ITD's 511 Travel Information page at 511.idaho.gov. The new app also may be downloaded through the iPhone and Android app stores.

The vast majority of new 511 app users live in the U.S., but there also is representation from Canada, China, Mexico, Egypt, France, India, Iraq and Taiwan.

Idaho joins a short list of transportation departments nationwide offering a 511 app, along with Georgia, Virginia, Iowa, Kentucky, South Dakota, New York, South Carolina and Minnesota.

This is ITD's second mobile app, joining an Aeronautics app deployed in 2012 that has earned several awards for providing critical safety information to pilots. It is the most recent enhancement to the 511 system that replaced the Idaho Road Report in 2005.