Add “511” to your phone book.
Drivers in Maryland will be able to learn ahead of time about any broken-down vehicles or road work on Interstate 95 starting next fall. By dialing 511, they will be find out up-to-date traffic information, including accidents, construction and detours on any federal highway or state road, Maryland transportation officials say.
Maryland drivers currently have few ways to find out the status of their commutes, said Glenn McLaughlin, deputy director of the State Highway Administration’s Coordinated Highways Action Response Team. Drivers must rely on Internet and radio station reports, overhead signs and the highway advisory channel on radio, which works only near the problem area.
“We want to make information readily available to the public so it will enhance their commute,” McLaughlin said.
The public will be able to access traffic information through a voice recognition menu to abide by the hands-free cell phone law. SHA is allowing the system to identify registered callers through caller ID, making it easy for drivers to get quick information.
Maryland’s traffic updates will be available on the State Highway Admistration Web site, with plans for e-mail and text alerts within a year.
Maryland plans to work with Virginia and the District to keep the entire region’s commuters up to date.
“The more information motorists have, the better the commute will be,” McLaughlin said. “And this will also reduce congestion in the state, which helps the environment.”
Other states in the mid-Atlantic region have implemented the system. New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania are in constant contact through different technologies to update their commuters on their roads, said Jim Hadden, project manager for New Jersey 511.
The New Jersey Department of Transportation established its 511 line in November 2007. In the past three years, 511 has gone from the initial phone line to the Web, and users can personalize alerts that are sent through e-mail or texting.
Hadden is focusing on manipulating the data so it’s easy to access.
“We are currently working on mobile applications for the iPhone, Android and BlackBerry,” Hadden said.
