Press Releases

511 Driving Times^SM Adds Coverage
For Highways 1 and 92

Ridesharing Info, Commuter Tips Also Help Travelers Slowed by Devil’s Slide Closure

Contact:

John Goodwin, MTC 510.817.5862
Jeff Weiss, Caltrans 510.286.5543

OAKLAND, Calif., May 30, 2006. . . With the closure of State Route 1 at Devil’s Slide continuing to inconvenience motorists traveling between the San Mateo County coast and the rest of the Bay Area, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) and Caltrans have teamed to provide up-to-the-minute information on just how long driving trips will take. The agencies have expanded MTC’s popular 511 Driving Times^SM service to include coverage of State Route 1 between Montara and Half Moon Bay, and State Route 92 between Half Moon Bay and the Interstate 280 junction. The 511 Driving Times^SM coverage network already includes the freeway portion of State Route 92 from Interstate 280 east across the San Mateo-Hayward Bridge to the Interstate 880 junction in Hayward.

“There are thousands of coastal residents who need to go over the hill, whether for work or other reasons,” noted MTC Commissioner Sue Lempert, who represents the cities of San Mateo County. “511 Driving Times^SM is a high-tech tool that gives people real-time information about how long it will take to reach their destination. I hope it encourages people to travel during nonpeak hours, when there is less traffic and they can see that travel times are pretty close to normal, instead of adding even more congestion to Highway 92 during the peak commute times.”

The 511 Driving Times^SM service delivers free, on-demand information — via phone at 511 or on the Web at www.511.org — about point-to-point travel times on the Bay Area highway network. The system taps data from FasTrak® toll transponders, constantly updated information from Caltrans and solar-powered radar devices deployed by Cupertino-based SpeedInfo Inc. to tell motorists the current travel time between cities or major landmarks in the Bay Area. Continually updated information from the California Highway Patrol informs callers and Web users whether there are any incidents along the route.

Real-time information about State Route 92 comes from two newly installed toll-tag readers, one just west of the Interstate 280 junction and the other at the Main Street intersection in Half Moon Bay. The more FasTrak® tags that are read, the more accurate the driving times data. 511 Driving Times^SM information on State Route 1 comes from six SpeedInfo readers installed between Half Moon Bay and Montara.

Lempert encouraged coastal residents to check the 511.org Web site for ridesharing information and other commuter tips as well. “There’s a Devil’s Slide Info box right on the 511.org home page,” she said. “And the Peninsula Congestion Relief Alliance and the 511 Rideshare Rewards program are both offering incentives for new carpoolers. To find out more, just go to 511.org and click on the Ridesharing link.”

Among the carpooling incentives offered through the 511 Regional Rideshare program is the 511 Rideshare Rewards initiative, through which carpoolers can earn up to $100 in gas or Safeway gift cards.

511 Driving Times^SM debuted in March 2004 with coverage on Interstates 80, 680 and 880, and has been expanded several times since. In addition to State Routes 1 and 92, the coverage network now includes the entire length of Interstates 280, 580, 680, 780, 880, 980 and 238; and State Routes 13, 24, 37, 85, 87 and 242; as well as extensive coverage of Interstate 80, U.S. 101, and State Routes 4, 17, 84 and 237. A complete map of the 511 Driving Times^SM coverage area, highlighting the latest additions to the network, is available at 511.org, and below.

MTC is the transportation planning, financing and coordinating agency for the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area.

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