November 16, 2006
Contact: Bob Mckenzie
Phone: (702) 385-6504
511 Nevada Fact Sheet
What is 511?
511 is the new easy-to-remember, 24-hour number for Nevada state road conditions and weather reports.
511 travel information is also on-line at www.nevadadot.com, with an interactive Nevada map that zooms into the user’s chosen state route.
511 is provided free to callers by the Nevada Department of Transportation and participating telecommunications companies.
Phone Features
Available 24 hours
Free to users - excluding possible airtime charges imposed by cell phone providers
Highway conditions
Weather forecasts
Road construction reports
Lane reductions and estimated travel time if available
Amber, national security and other informational alerts
Voice recognition allows hands-free voice commands
Web Site Features
Available 24 hours
Interactive Nevada map zooms into user’s chosen state route
Highway conditions
Road construction reports
Lane reductions and estimated travel time if available
Amber, national security and other informational alerts
Easy to Use
Callers simply dial 5-1-1 from a landline or cellular phone to be connected to a computerized, voice-activated system. Callers then select their state road of choice by voice or touch-tone key command for a full recording of weather, road and construction conditions.
511 travel information is also available at www.nevadadot.com by selecting the ‘511’ icon.
Calling Within Nevada
The Nevada 511 system can be reached by cell phone or landline connection from anywhere in the state.
Cellular calls from near state borders may be routed to another state information system, in which case callers can dial 1-877-NV-ROADS.
Free Within Nevada
As a public service, 511 road and weather information is provided free of charge by the Nevada Department of Transportation.
LAND LINE PHONES: Free
CELL PHONES: Free- although airtime charges may be imposed by cell phone providers
PAY PHONE: Must pay minimum local call rate
Understanding Voice Commands
Nevada’s 511 system is equipped with voice recognition technology enabling callers to make voice commands to receive their desired travel information.
This technology can be sensitive to background noise and/or other interference. Callers unable to make voice commands may simply make their selections by using their phone’s keypad.
Using State Route Numbers
Specific state route numbers must be used, as opposed to common names such as ‘Mt. Rose Highway’ or ‘Tropicana Avenue.’
Those unfamiliar with state route numbers can log on to www.nevadadot.com for a full map of state route numbers. (NOTE: This may need to be changed if this map is not available by the time of the press event).
If Callers Can’t Access 511
A cellular caller may be unable to access 511 if the cellular provider has not yet allowed access to 511. In this case, callers can dial 1-877-NV-ROADS or log onto www.nevadadot.com.
Connecting from Outside of Nevada
Nevada road condition information can be reached out-of-state by dialing 1-877-NV-ROADS, or through the Nevada Department of Transportation’s www.nevadadot.com Web site.
Dialing the Previous 1-877-NV-ROADS Number
511 travel information is also available by calling NDOT’s previous travel information phone number at 1-877-NV-ROADS.
Safety While Driving
Nevada’s 511 system offers hands-free, interactive voice recognition. Drivers are strongly encouraged to use this voice command system to avoid the hazard of pushing number selections while driving, and to avoid using cell phones while driving when possible.
Future Features
Possible future 511 features include:
Ability to recognize common highway nicknames
Traffic incident reports
Transit/airport information
Tourism information
Parking/event information
Bicycle information
Rideshare/carpool information
Links to other state travel information
A Public Service
As a one-stop, comprehensive and timely source of route-specific state road information, 511 increases safety and road condition awareness to save lives and prevent potential accidents.
511 allows users to make informed travel decisions, whether changing travel time, cancelling trips, changing routes or choosing a different mode of transportation before leaving or during travel. Such decisions can be life saving. Travel time reliability also increases, allowing commuters to arrive on time.
Benefiting Nevada’s Transportation Network
Safety improvements
Improved roadway efficiency
Emissions reduction
Transit ridership increase
Sources of Information
Nevada Highway Patrol Highway Advisory Radio System (HARS) reports, as well as NDOT maintenance and construction reports, are automatically input into the system by NDOT District 2 and 3 operations centers.
