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Improvements made to popular low-bandwidth 511 site

ITD introduced improvements to the popular 511 Traveler Services website for low-bandwidth users this fall. Some of the new features were adapted from the more robust high-bandwidth site without sacrificing connection speed, which remains a major consideration for most users in Idaho.

One of the most visible changes on the new low-bandwidth site is the introduction of Google static maps, which replace the original drawn maps that have been on the site since ITD introduced the 511 Traveler Services system in 2005. Tabs that provided options for users have been replaced by links in a menu bar on the left side of the page.

The links enable users to select from winter driving, road reports, truck restrictions, highway cameras, weather stations and mountain passes. When the “Weather Stations” option of the website is selected, small thermometer icons indicate visually if temperatures are above or below freezing. Red thermometers indicate temperatures above freezing; blue warns of freezing temperatures. Clicking on the some of the icons will open an extensive report of current weather conditions, including (where available):

Humidity
Dew point temperature
Precipitation
Average wind speed
Wind direction, and
Wind gusts
Visibility, and
Temperature (high, low and current) Other weather parameters are available by clicking on the “More Data” button.

Data is captured from more than 80 ITD Road Weather Information System (RWIS) sites located throughout the state.

The winter driving page also enables users to select segments of a highway rather than the entire highway, enabling more precise queries about travel conditions. Highway sections also show in one of three colors, depending on travel conditions: purple for difficult driving conditions, aqua blue for fair conditions and gray for good conditions.

The low-bandwidth option is accessible from the main “splash” page – 511.idaho.gov – that also includes the “full feature” high-bandwidth, truckers’ page, transit site and a link to Boise Metro Area Traffic.