511PA has been PennDOT's official source of traveler information for the past 10 years. A recent upgrade merged services with the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission.
Since its inception in 2009, 511PA has offered conditions on more than 40,000 roadway miles. This includes information on traffic delays, weather forecasts, traffic speeds and access to more than 950 traffic cameras. Now, motorists can also check conditions on the turnpike network, including detours, planned roadwork, and toll plaza locations.
Over its 10-year history, 511PA has continued to experience steady growth. In 2018, the system saw 5.2 million visits to the website and more than 500,000 calls to the phone system. As of March 2019, the system has more than 45,000 personal alert subscribers, 325,000 downloads of the mobile app, and over 60,000 followers across its regional and statewide Twitter accounts.
Peak usage of the system occurs during major winter events when the system can see more than 200,000 website visits a day. Some of the most popular features of the system include streaming video from PennDOT's traffic cameras and a view of plow truck locations and plow history.
In the coming months, system enhancements will continue to integrate other Turnpike functionality, as well as further redesign to modernize and improve traveler information for Pennsylvania.
Memorial Day historical traffic
This Memorial Day weekend, the public is encouraged to use 511PA's "Historic Holiday Traffic" page to see how traffic speeds on the Friday before and on Memorial Day in 2017 and 2018 compare to traffic conditions during a typical, non-holiday week. Users can choose their region and view an hour-by-hour, color-coded representation of traffic speeds to help determine the best times to travel during the holiday.
PennDOT will also remove lane restrictions and suspend construction projects wherever possible through the holiday period. Motorists can see active construction projects at www.511PA.com.