News and Press Releases
A National InitiativeIn 1999 the U.S. Department of Transportation petitioned the Federal Communication Commission for a three-digit dialing code to make it easier for those traveling across states to access travel information. The FCC assigned "511" to the transportation community in 2000, designating this dialing code as the single nationwide travel information telephone number.
Prior to the establishment of 511, more than 300 travel-related telephone numbers across the country had been created to deliver travel information to motorists.
The FCC left nearly all responsibility for launching services to state and local agencies. Recognizing the need for some national level oversight, the 511 Deployment Coalition was established. The organization is operated jointly by The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, the American Public Transportation Association and the Intelligent Transportation Society of America along with support from the U.S. Department of Transportation and other organizations. The Coalition’s goal is "the timely establishment of a national 511 traveler information service that is sustainable and provides value to users."
The 511 Deployment Coalition has developed voluntary guidelines for state transportation agencies to follow when planning a 511 service, and has outlined its vision:
"511 will be a customer-driven, multi-modal travel information service, available across the United States, accessed via telephones and other personal communication devices, realized through locally deployed interoperable systems, enabling a safer, more reliable and efficient transportation system."
In addition, the Coalition established a number of goals to be met by year 2010, including:
- Complete 511 system coverage throughout the entire United States
- Over 90 percent of the nation's population aware of 511
- Complete customer satisfaction
- Over 40 million calls per year nationwide
To provide some examples of how established systems have been used:
- Almost 62 million calls nationwide have been placed to the 511 system since inception in 2001.
- The number of calls nationwide to 511 systems consistently exceeds more than 1 million each month.
- As of 4th quarter 2006, 511 is available to more than 100 million Americans or 35 percent of the entire U.S. population.
- State systems that were in operation for the 4th quarter of 2005 experienced a 21.3% increase in October 2006 call volumes over the prior year.
Bringing 511 to Georgia
The Georgia Department of Transportation launched 511 in 2007, but work began on the system in 2006. The department had a solid foundation already established thanks to development of Georgia's Intelligent Transportation System (ITS). The system integrates technology, information processing and communication services to improve travel conditions, increase safety, save time for travelers and provide more efficient operations for Georgia DOT.
Atlanta's winning bid for the 1996 Olympics created the momentum for launching the ITS, and by January of that year the Transportation Management Center (TMC) was operational. A model facility to states across the country, Georgia’s TMC serves as an information clearinghouse and technology hub, bringing together traffic data from across the state and housing a staff that operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
The TMC has served as the home of Georgia NaviGAtor, the internet-based traffic information system for metro Atlanta, and *DOT, a statewide phone-based consumer travel information service. While those technologies provided a starting point for Georgia's 511 system, more technology was needed.
A state-of-the-art phone system was developed. The system offers a host of voice-activated travel information services and connectivity to various travel-related resources. Beyond that, users of Georgia 511 can always access a live operator stationed at the TMC.
Georgia's use of live operators is a major differentiator over other states with similar systems, as is its statewide availability. Other states, such as Florida, utilize multiple regional systems. In terms of service offerings, Georgia also has the ability to offer estimated travel times. At launch, that service is focused on the metro Atlanta area, but additional technologies will be implemented to extend similar services to other parts of the state.
