TRANSACTIONS NEWSLETTER ONLINE

January/February 2005

Update

Traveler Info Service Logs 5 Millionth Call

Just days after celebrating its second anniversary, the Bay Area’s 511 traveler information system reached another milestone in December when Rachel Garcia called to find out about traffic conditions on East Bay freeways — and became the symbolic 5 millionth caller to take advantage of the free service.

“Before I go on a trip, I always call 511 to figure out the best route to take,” said the 24-year-old freelance Web designer, who frequently travels from her Concord home to attend a technical school in Castro Valley. “Whenever I find myself stuck in traffic, I call 511, ask for ‘traffic conditions’ to find out what the problem is, and then decide whether to try an alternate route. I call at least three or four times every week.”

Garcia especially appreciates 511’s state-of-the-art, voice-activated system for delivering travel information. “I love the 511 man’s voice,” she said, referring to voice actor Bob Hesse, whose recorded prompts guide callers through 511’s menu of services. “He’s so pleasant that I’ve been telling my friends about him.”
— John Goodwin

Contents

• State of the System
  • Bay Area Freeways Record Third Straight Year of Reduced Congestion
  • Facts and Figures – Daily Freeway Delay by Bay Area County, 1999–2003
  • Facts and Figures – Top 10 Bay Area Congestion Hot Spots
• Update – Traveler Info Service Logs 5 Millionth Call
• In the News – Former Executive Director Lawrence D. Dahms Honored
• In Memoriam – William R. "Bill" Lucius, Original MTC Commissioner
• Commission Actions