511 Questions and Answers
511 Logo Q: What is 511?
A: 511 is America’s easy-to-remember travel information telephone number – like 911 for emergency services and 411 for telephone numbers. This number replaces the variety of numbers (like St. Louis’ 1-800-511-4STL) and gives travelers a single number to remember for travel information, whether they are in St. Louis, Orlando or Anchorage.
Q: Where can I dial 511 around St. Louis?
A: Right now, travelers can dial 511 in St. Louis City and County, as well as Jefferson, Franklin and St. Charles Counties. If you are close to the Missouri border on I-55 or I-70, you may be able to access some 511 services by cellular phone as well. If you are outside St. Louis, or outside cell range, you can always get the latest information for St. Louis by dialing 1-877-4STL-511 (478-5511).
Q: What is the role of the cellular phone in making calls to 511?
A: When 511 calls are placed from a cellular phone, we encourage motorists to put safety first – please don’t call while driving. Use information from MoDOT’s overhead message boards to get last-minute information on the road ahead.
Q: Is there a charge for 511 service?
A: 511 is a public service of the telecommunications industry, MoDOT and Traffic.com, a NAVTEQ company. Advertisers pay the operating cost. That means there are no charges for the service or the information on the cell phone. Cellular users will pay normal airtime and roaming charges, according to their wireless service contracts. Pay phone users are responsible for the minimum pay phone toll fee. Some 511 services in other states may charge for premium information such as tourist information, special events, parking locations and lot status, trip routing and planning, etc. We have no plans to charge for the service here.
Q: How often is the information updated?
A: 511 information in St. Louis is updated in real-time by a 24/7 operations staff and sensors that update every 60 seconds. The report you hear is based on the most current traffic information available through a partnership between the Missouri Department of Transportation and Traffic.com.
Q: How do I navigate through 511?
A: After calling 511, you will be given directions on how to find information on the roads you desire. The service is completely voice activated. You may access a directory of other travel information numbers – Metro, Highway Patrol, the Illinois Department of Transportation, etc – by saying “directory.” Otherwise, provide the road and the direction for which you would like travel information. If you want more details on a particular section of road, say “details.”
Q: Which roads in St. Louis can I get information on through 511?
A: Currently, travelers may get information on all interstates as well as Routes 141, 364 and 370; and the Poplar Street Bridge. They may also get information on I-70 and I-55 in Illinois near the Missouri border. Additional state routes in St. Louis will be added as sensors get activated along those routes.
Q: Help! I can’t access 511 from my cell phone or home phone!
A: Currently, only Sprint/Nextel, Verizon, AT&T Mobility, XO Communications, U.S. Cellular, and Charter Communications have completed the necessary adjustments to their system to provide this valuable travel information service. Please let your cell phone or home phone carrier know you would like this capability. In the meantime, dial 1-877-4STL-511 (478-5511).
Q: Where does the information for 511 in St. Louis originate?
A: The travel information available on 511 comes from a partnership between MoDOT’s Gateway Guide and Traffic.com, a NAVTEQ company. The two organizations share vast amounts of traffic information, including traffic speeds, incident and construction information and road conditions gathered from a network of traffic sensors and cameras around interstates and major highways around the St. Louis metropolitan area. This information is processed through MoDOT’s Transportation Management Center in Town and Country to provide real-time travel and traffic information through 511.
Q: How does the information available from 511 differ from the travel information I get on the radio and television?
A: Radio and television will continue to provide valuable sources of information, but with 511, you control the information you get. If you travel on I-270 and I-44 you can ask for information on those two routes only. You can even use the associated web page, http://www.traffic.com/St-Louis-Traffic/St-Louis-Traffic-Map.html, operated by Traffic.com, a NAVTEQ company, to get customized information on your most used routes sent directly to your phone via text messages or to your e-mail. This gives you more route-specific information than you hear in a 30-second traffic news slot, and you will be able to access the information on demand, whenever you need it.
Q: When will the rest of Missouri get 511 service?
A: There are no current plans for the rest of Missouri because the sensors are not available along major highways. However, MoDOT expects service in the Kansas City area within the next few years as well as service along the I-70 and I44 corridors. There is a possibility of 511 service near Branson and Springfield.
Q: What’s so important about 511?
A: 511 offers one easy-to-remember number. No matter where the traveler is, 511 gives them choices – choice of time, choice of route – which saves lives, time, money and reduces congestion and pollution.
Q: When and why was 511 initiated?
A: In 1999 the U.S. Department of Transportation petitioned the Federal Communications Commission for a three-digit dialing code to make it easier for consumers to access travel information services. The FCC assigned "511" to the transportation community on July 21, 2000.
Q: When will 511 service be available nationwide?
A: A majority of states and metropolitan areas are expected to have the service after 2007. Currently, 26 states and two areas (St. Louis and portions of California) have 511 service, with seven states and another portion of California should have some form of service by the end of this year. 15 states, portions of Missouri and California, and the District of Columbia remain to be added before 511 is truly nationwide. The 511 Deployment Coalition is working to facilitate deployments at the state and local level.
Q: Who is in charge of 511 deployment?
A: States have the lead role in coordinating 511 deployments. National leadership is provided by the 511 Deployment Coalition. Led by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), and including travel information experts from more than 30 organizations, the Coalition has developed voluntary guidelines for state transportation agencies to follow when they plan 511 service for their states or regions. Other leading member organizations of the Coalition include the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), the Intelligent Transportation Society of America (ITS America), and the U.S. Department of Transportation.
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