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Improved 511 Web site makes debut
Versions available for low- and high-bandwidths

Recent improvements to Idaho’s 511 Traveler Services Web site will help motorists become better informed about winter conditions on highways and make better travel decisions.

Visitors to the Web site – 511.idaho.gov – will find two options. They can stay on the low-bandwidth site that looks similar to what was available last winter and may be best for users who access the Web through dial-up connections. Or a high bandwidth version is available now for high speed Internet users.

The low-bandwidth site features a larger map, an event list in geographic order for each route below the map and a print option to provide an event list for selected routes. As before, routes on the Winter Driving page map are color-coded based on driving conditions – difficult, good and fair. When selecting the All Advisories tab, users can view all road closures, blockages, crashes and other events affecting interstates, U.S. routes and state highways.

The new high-bandwidth version can be selected from the top menu bar. It works best on a high speed Internet connection and is best viewed at a resolution of 1024 X 768. It has been developed for use on Microsoft Internet Explorer version 7 but performs well using other Internet browser applications.

The high-bandwidth site includes a more interactive map based on Google Map technology.

Users can select from a detailed list of features located in the menu bar on the left of the map including road closures, crashes, road conditions based on color-coded segments and camera images.

Visitors to the high-bandwidth site are encouraged to select the “Switch to Route Reports” button at the upper left corner. Route reports enable users to identify a specific highway route and get information about individual segments of the route or the complete route.

ITD is interested in receiving comments about the new high-bandwidth Web site. Visitors can provide comments using the “Contact ITD” button at the top of the page.

“Our 511 Traveler Services program continues to evolve, incorporating the latest technology to improve safety and access to information,” explains ITD’s Alison Lantz, Traveler Services System Manager. “The Web site and 511 telephone systems have improved considerably since we introduced them in 2005, but we are constantly looking for ways of making them even better.”