Southwest Florida Travel Articles

One call to 511 helps keep Southwest Floridians in the know

The Florida Department of Transportation's (FDOT) free Southwest Florida 511 Travel Information Service provides information about traffic conditions for I-75 and other major roads in Charlotte, Lee and Collier counties. Dialing 511 provides users with information about congestion, construction and lane closures, severe weather and incidents affecting traffic conditions. Callers can also access information about the region's three transit agencies and the Southwest Florida International Airport.
511 is a free call from a cellular phone or landline, though cell minutes and roaming charges may apply and is available on the Internet at www.SouthwestFlorida511.com.
"By calling 511 before you head out, you can get the information you need to make smart decisions about your travel," said Debbie Tower, Florida DOT Public Information Director. "If you know where congestion is, you can avoid it by changing your departure time or choosing a different route."
Because 511 uses interactive speech-activated technology, callers simply ask for the regional traffic information they want. When a traveler dials 511, they are connected to Florida's statewide system. They say, "Southwest Florida 511" to be connected to the regional service. From there, callers can ask for "highways," "airport," "public transit" or "other 511 systems." When asking for highway information, callers can request roads by name or number, or they can request information by county or city.
Southwest Florida's new 511 service is part of Florida's Statewide 511, which provides information on all of Florida's interstate highways and Florida's Turnpike. Statewide 511 also includes access to four other regional services in Northeast Florida, Central Florida, Tampa Bay and Southeast Florida.
A recent study conducted for FDOT revealed that Southwest Floridians age 50 and older are currently the region's most frequent users of 511. They also are more likely than younger drivers to use the Internet to get travel information.
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