By dialing 5-1-1, travelers will be able to learn about traffic tie-ups before getting caught in them.

01:00 AM EST on Thursday, March 10, 2005

BY JACK PERRY
Projo.com Staff Writer

PROVIDENCE -- The Rhode Island Department of Transportation today launched a call line that provides travelers information on traffic, construction and weather.

Travelers can dial 5-1-1 to find out whether an accident, a construction project or a storm might slow their trip across the state's major roads.

"It's a congestion fighter," said James R. Capaldi, director of the DOT. The telephone service won't suggest alternate routes, but drivers can use the information to decide whether it makes sense to use a different route, Capaldi said.

Callers can also use the number for information about tourism and alternative methods of travel, such as bus, train, air and ferry services, he said.

The system follows voice commands and telephone keypad prompts. The information is available seven days a week, 24 hours a day.

The 511 call is free, but cell-phone users might be charged for using their calling minutes, according to the DOT.

The system can be reached from out of state by calling (888) 401-4511, according to the DOT.

The Rhode Island program is part of a national effort to develop a system for every state, according to Capaldi. The concept began in March 1999, when the U.S. Department of Transportation asked the Federal Communications Commission to adopt a national three-digit telephone number to provide Americans with transportation information, according to the DOT.

Rhode Island is the 23rd state -- the 4th in New England -- to institute the service, Capaldi said. Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont provide the service, while Massachusetts and Connecticut are developing it, he said.

By 2010, the service should be available nationwide, according to the DOT. The automated system was developed here with a $300,000 federal grant, according to Capaldi. He said he didn't know the annual cost of operating it, but no staff has been added. The traffic information is already collected and reported via other tools, such as the Internet and news media, through the DOT's Transportation Management Center.

Capaldi said, "This is another tool to help us with traffic congestion."