Published: January, 2013
For countless Bay Area residents, checking traffic conditions via 511 before they embark on their commute or other local trips has become second nature. They have come to rely on the friendly voice of the 511 phone service warning them of trouble along their route, and the online 511 map showing traffic hotspots to avoid — not to mention the Driving Times feature that calculates how long it will take to get from Point A to Point B given current conditions. And more than a million times a month, Bay Area travelers go to the 511 website (at 511.org) or the 511 transit app on their smart phone to request a personalized public transit itinerary.
Celebrating its 10th anniversary this past month (in December 2012), the 511 Traveler Information Service has become an indispensible companion to Bay Area residents and visitors alike as they make their way around the region’s extensive and far-flung network of roadways and bus, rail and ferry lines.
"For the past 10 years, 511 has provided a unique and valuable service for the Bay Area," said Adrienne Tissier, chair of the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC). "It has helped millions of residents and visitors navigate our busy highways and bike lanes, utilize our various transit services, and find greener commutes to work."
511 is a one-stop phone and web source for up-to-the-minute Bay Area traffic, transit, rideshare, bicycling and parking information. The 511 phone service is free of charge and available 24 hours a day, seven days a week from anywhere in the nine-county Bay Area.
511’s tools and features include a transit trip planner, real-time transit information available through various avenues, up-to-the-minute traffic information, carpool and vanpool formation services, an online BikeMapper tool, and real-time info on parking availability in San Francisco. Live operators who can offer assistance with ridematching and most other aspects of 511’s services, and who can link to a language-translation service, are available Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.; you can access the live operators through the "Rideshare" prompt.
On average, each month 511 receives more than 4 million phone and web requests and more than 1,900 calls connecting users with non-emergency freeway towing services. A total of 45,000 people use 511’s carpool and vanpool ridematching database services, more than 50,000 people have downloaded the 511 SF Bay Transit app to their smartphones, and more than 11,000 people follow 511 SF Bay on Twitter.
Established and managed by MTC, 511 is a partnership with the California Highway Patrol (CHP), the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, and the transit and transportation agencies of the Bay Area. These agencies have worked cooperatively to spearhead this consumer resource for transportation information, which has been recognized nationally as a leader among 40 such services throughout the U.S. 511 has been nationally recognized by and received awards from several organizations, including the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE), the Intelligent Transportation Society of California (ITS CA) and Government Computer News.
511 continues to evolve to meet the ever-changing and varied ways people receive information by adapting to technology trends. In addition to providing services via the phone and web, 511 delivers information via text, a mobile web site, and most recently through the smartphone app. 511 also provides personalized traffic and transit information through MY 511. One of the newest features is an enhanced trip planner, now in beta testing, that allows users to compare the time and cost of driving vs. riding public transit vs. driving to transit.
511 also serves as the one-stop source for transportation information during emergencies, as well as planned events such as Fleet Week, and major freeway and bridge closures, providing information on traffic, alternate routes and public transit options.
For more information, call 511 or visit 511.org or m.511.org.
