In July 2000, the US Federal Communications Commission assigned 511 as the national traveller information phone number with the aim of establishing a national multimodal Traveller Information Service (TIS) accessible by telephone. In 2001, the 511 Deployment Coalition was created to facilitate deployment of the system. The system operates in 24 states. The lessons learned to date are discussed: successful services are customer- and market-driven; marketing and branding is critical; and usage is event-driven. The Coalition and implementers have undertaken consumer research to determine what customers want from 511. Deployment costs vary according to the size of the system, the number of calls estimated or received, and the number of transfers made between answering points. 511 can have a positive effect on the management of major events e.g. weather or incident-related events, sporting events or bridge collapses. Ongoing financial support from the lead agency is critical to the continued success of 511 services. National performance measures are needed to monitor the success of 511.
Abstract