The New York Metropolitan Transit Council launched the free transportation information service on Thursday via phone and Web. “It’s a one-stop shop for travel, transit, and traffic,” said Joel Ettinger, the Council’s executive director. Not only can the service help commuters plan trips, but it can also alert them of emergencies, road and transit service conditions, and offer resources for alternative travel solutions, such as vanpooling and senior services.
New York State will be among eight States to activate their 511 number by the end of this year. San Francisco’s municipal government was the first to take up 511. The Federal Communication Commission designated 511 as each State’s transportation hotline in 2000. The FCC’s goal is to have each State on board by Sept. 30, 2010. So far, 32 States’ 511 hotlines offer full or partial geographical coverage.
At a time when more people are giving up driving, the service allows public transit patrons to better utilize available transit options. “You’ll be able to plan a trip from Buffalo to Montague without going on a highway,” said Todd Westhius of the New York State Department of Transportation.
By Web
On www.511ny.org, commuters can use the multi-agency trip planner to select their start and destination locations using the trip planner. Hit the “Plan Trip” button and the next page will detail each leg of your trip on any transit agency. If there’s a hitch, say, construction or an incident, an alert will be displayed. Travel time and fare, along with walking maps, are prominently displayed.
Two maps that are based on the Google maps interface allow users to scope out the scene before they leave home.
The Transit Conditions map has checkbox options for weather, street closures, transit events, special events, and construction. For those who prefer lists to maps, all incidents are listed on a separate page as they are reported.
The Traffic Conditions map feeds the picture from public traffic cameras in addition to the features available on the Transit Conditions map.
By Phone
Phone menu options are more limited than the 511 website. So far, English is the only language available. Dial 511 in New York State and 888-GO511NY (888-465-1169) if out of the area.
Expect to listen carefully to the menu options, as there are many. The user can speak their desired menu option or use the touchtone alternative. 511 has no human operators but the system can connect you to individual transit agencies’ operators.
The phone service is split into nine calling regions across the State. The system will detect the region you call from and tailor menu options accordingly.
The Upgrade
Being a new service in the State, 511 has plans to flesh out their offerings. On the to-do list are applications for mobile devices, a customized homepage called My511, and RSS/XML feeds for travel alerts.
