Traffic will travel along southbound Interstate 380 on Wednesday at the Interstate 80 interchange in Coralville. (Jim Sursiarek/The Gazette)
A new feature in Iowa’s updated 511 app is the ability to see “nearby events” that may affect your trip, such as roadworks or collisions. (Iowa Department of Transportation)
With the updated 511 Travel app, drivers can now go hands-free, eyes-free, and even receive voice announcements about upcoming traffic and construction issues. (Iowa Department of Transportation)
The Iowa Department of Transportation’s updated 511 travel app is intended to make driving easier and safer during construction and in the winter.
The app, which is free for Apple and Android devices, was updated in early October with new features and a user-friendly interface. According to Sinclair Stall, a traffic management systems engineer at the Iowa Department of Transportation, the new design will match his website on 511, resulting in a consistent user experience.
According to Stolle, these features help drivers make “informed decisions for safer, more efficient travel.”
“Know before you go,” said Stolle, 511’s tagline.
new function
Among the app’s new features is the ability to see “nearby events” that can affect your trip, such as construction or collisions.
The Trip Planner tool helps drivers map their route with travel times, road conditions, and alternate routes. User can save routes.
Users can also turn on weather radar and weather station alerts. This is a useful feature for winter, he said, Stolle said. .
Drivers can see the snowplow’s progress and road conditions to see if it’s safe to leave now or wait until conditions improve, Stolle said.
The app also provides views from traffic cameras along major routes.
“Really check the roads before you go and look at the road conditions,” Stolle said. “A picture is worth a thousand words. Look at the cameras we have.”
continuation
Features carried over from previous versions include the ability to turn on and off layers that display information on the map. Layers include unscheduled traffic events, construction, rest areas, and more.
Layers can be turned on and off in customized views, says Stolle.
Users can also receive voice announcements of traffic conditions hands-free and eyes-free while driving.
Stolle said the app displays “knowledge cones” and shares information as drivers approach traffic events.
“Check[the app]before you hit the road or ask a passenger to check,” Stoll said. me mode.
Other states have their own 511 apps through the DOT, but Stolle said he was unaware of any plans to create a national 511 app, given that the 511 app’s functionality varies from state to state. says.
“I don’t think there are 511 apps for national brands, but I would like to see DOT provide standardized data to third parties to incorporate into existing national apps such as Google Maps, Waze, and Apple Maps. It’s definitely going to be,” Stolle said.
Efforts are underway to standardize data from state DOTs through the US DOT’s Work Zone Data Exchange. This helps with third-party integration of national data. Stolle said the effort is focused on road construction, but could expand to unplanned events.
Commuter
Stolle said drivers who take the same route during their commute can sign up for the app to save their route.
With a 511 account, users can access their saved routes, traffic cameras and other information on both the website and app, Stolle said.
“Some people find it easier to save routes on the big screen, so if you want to save them, you can access them on your phone, too,” says Stolle.
Stolle added that it is also possible to sign up for text or email alerts to arrive at a certain time and be notified of what is happening along the route. Alerts can be customized to cover construction and unplanned events that drivers want to know about.
commercial driver
Commercial drivers who previously used the Iowa 511 Trucker app can also use the updated 511 app. The updated app adds functionality for commercial drivers and the Trucker app will be retired later this year.
Commercial drivers can simply tap the “truck toggle” to view restrictions, truck parking information and weigh station locations.
To download the app, visit the Apple or Google Play store. If you have already downloaded the previous Iowa 511 app, it will be automatically updated.
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