Over the past decade, more than 300 travel information telephone numbers have sprung up across the country, as a way to deliver the real-time information collected by Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) to travelers and commuters to help them with their trip decisions.
In 1999 the U.S. Department of Transportation petitioned the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for a three-digit dialing code to make it easier for consumers to access these travel information services. The FCC assigned "511" to the transportation community on July 21, 2000.
511 has progressed rapidly since the FCC designated 511 as the national travel information number. The first 511 service was launched less than a year later with Florida among the first in the nation in July 2002.
By early 2006, twenty eight 511 systems are operational in 24 states, available to more than 93 Americans or 32 percent of the natin's population.
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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SunGuide is Florida's Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) which incorporates 511 currently in Southeast Florida, Tampa and Orlando to keep traffic moving and reduce road congestion.
As part of the iFlorida Model Deployment, a statewide Florida 511 service was launched in November 2005, covering all interstate roadways in Florida. The statewide 511 service provides information on large incidents with far-reaching impact, weather that may affect traffic, and Amber alerts. The service offers call transfers to the Tampa Bay, Southeast Florida and Central Florida 511 services.
April 2006 was the twentieth consecutive month in which more than one million 511 calls were received nationwide.
More than 53 million 511 calls nationwide have been received since 511 inception.
Active 511 Systems as of April 30, 2006:
Florida Statewide, Orlando, Tampa, Southeast Florida
Alaska
Arizona
Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky
Colorado
Idaho
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky Statewide
Maine
Minnesota
Montana
Nebraska
New Hampshire
North Carolina
North Dakota
Oregon
Rhode Island
Sacramento/Northern California
San Francisco Bay Area
South Dakota
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington State
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