New York State DOT Commissioner Encourages Travelers To Use 511 Service Before Beginning Thanksgiving Journey

ALBANY, NY (11/22/2011)(readMedia)-- New York State Department of Transportation Commissioner Joan McDonald today reminded travelers to use 511NY to best plan their trips within the Empire State this busy Thanksgiving weekend.

"New Yorkers and our visitors have an invaluable service in 511," Commissioner McDonald said. "Before setting out on your holiday or shopping journeys, we encourage you to visit 511 New York, either on the Web or your mobile device, for the most up-to-date travel conditions. Holidays can sometimes be stressful; 511 New York can help reduce that stress by helping you to plan and manage your traveling schedule."

Users can visit 511 NY on the Web at www.511ny.org, or they can dial 5-1-1 from any phone within New York State to receive traffic and transit updates. The 511 service is also available on the mobile Web, with an application available for BlackBerry, iPhone and Android devices.

Drivers are reminded to operate their vehicles in a responsible manner and obey state laws regarding using portable electronic devices. NYSDOT encourages drivers to have a passenger check 511 information while traveling, or pull off to a safe place before using mobile devices. Drivers are also encouraged to check the 511 system before leaving for their trips so they can plan and avoid congestion.

The 511NY phone and Web systems also carry Winter Traveler Advisory information, which provides continuously updated data on road conditions impacted by snow and ice.

Since its inception in November 2008, 511NY has received more than 3 million visits on the Web, more than 200,000 mobile web visits and more than 2 million phone calls. New York's 511 service has also seen more than 18,000 mobile application downloads and more than 1,400 subscribers to My511NY, a service allowing users to customize 511 for their use on the Web or their phones according to their commute and travel routes. This is in addition to the nearly 24,000 subscribers to TransAlerts, an e-mail notification system NYSDOT provides that send short electronic messages via the New York State Emergency Management Office's "NY-ALERT" system.

The 511NY service is also on Twitter, with 10 feeds serving different regions of New York State and separate feeds for nine New York City subway lines, as well as links for feeds serving the PATH train connecting New York City and New Jersey. You can find them all at http://twitter.511ny.org.

511NY provides transfers and links to other 511 and traveler information services available in the neighboring states of Vermont, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, and in Ontario and Quebec in Canada. For those heading on longer journeys this week, and for other services related to 511 and regional traveler information, visit www.i95travelinfo.net, which is operated by the I-95 Corridor Coalition, of which New York State is a member. This Web site provides long-distance trip planning service with travel times along the corridor based on real-time travel information from each state.

The corridor includes I-95 and other major roads that together comprise the I-95 Corridor from Maine to Florida.

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