The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation is updating the state’s 511PA travel information service to include the locations of electric vehicle chargers and all low bridges over state roads, while allowing motorists to set up personalized travel alerts for specific roadways, days of the week, and times of the day.
[Above photo by PennDOT]
Categories for those “personalized” alerts include incidents, roadwork, general travel information, travel restrictions, and weather-related alerts.
Additionally, motorists can now use just an email or mobile phone number for speed and vehicle restrictions or full roadway closures without creating a personalized account, the agency said.
The service now also displays EV charging station locations by connector type as an option on its traffic map, using data from the U.S. Department of Energy. The 511PA mobile app now allows drivers to specify vehicle type – either commercial or passenger vehicle. If users select the commercial vehicle designations, it automatically activates vehicle restrictions and “low bridge” warnings.
PennDOT emphasized that 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information and access to more than 1,000 traffic cameras. 511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following regional Twitter alerts, the agency said.
“511PA helps travelers plan ahead year-round but can be especially useful in winter,” explained PennDOT Secretary Yassmin Gramian in a statement.
“511PA allows users to view color-coded winter conditions, see plow truck locations, and now receive alerts more tailored to their needs,” she added. “These new features are just another way we put our data to work for all motorists, including those driving passenger or commercial vehicles, and now electric vehicles, too.”
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