The Iowa Department of Transportation introduces the Iowa 511 Travel Information Service to help commuters and travelers access information regarding weather-related road conditions, construction and congestion, via the Web or phone – 24/7.

 Part of a National Effort:

• The FCC designated “511” as the national traveler information phone number and Iowa DOT is one of a handful of state DOT’s seeking to implement the service.
• The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), Intelligent Transportation Society of America (ITS America) and American Public Transportation Association (APTA) are leading deployment efforts and the development of guidelines for a seamless and comprehensive service nationwide.

• The new service will provide enhanced service that is available directly to travelers via the Web or phone – 24/7 - and include voice recognition, increased calling capacity and easier-to-navigate Web pages.
• By knowing state highway road conditions, travelers will be able to better plan for their trips and commutes and in the future, abbreviated dialing of 511 will make the information even easier to reach.

• The Condition Acquisition and Reporting System (CARS) will be the primary source of data for 511 services.
• Iowa DOT and Iowa State Police staff from dispatch centers and out in the field use this system to maintain real-time information about travel conditions throughout the state.
• The system continues to evolve as one comprehensive and timely source of data that ultimately improves the information available through services like Web sites.

• Call 511 from any phone, including mobile phones.
• Iowa is preparing the needed infrastructure to handle this new service so that you can call 511 from any phone, including mobile phones*
• Visit www.511ia.org

• Weather-related road conditions
• Traffic incidents
• Highway Construction

• Iowa is part of an 8-state consortium that is sharing the cost to design and develop the system.
• In addition to Iowa, the participating states are Alaska, Kentucky, Maine, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Mexico, and Vermont.
• The service is provided free of charge to the public. Cell phone users will pay for normal airtime and roaming charges according to their wireless service contracts.

• The Intelligent Transportation Society of America (ITS America): www.itsa.org/511.html
• U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT): www.its.dot.gov/511/511.htm
• American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO): 511.transportation.org