TRANSACTIONS NEWSLETTER ONLINE

November-December 2009

Facts & Figures
Traffic to Traveler Info Service Soars During Bridge Closure

511 to the Rescue

When Caltrans had to close the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge in late October for a second round of emergency repairs (see story), MTC’s 511 team sprang into action. The 511 phone center and 511.org Web site became the go-to sources for fresh updates on the closure and transit alternatives. Daily user sessions for the main Web page soared by nearly 500 percent over typical levels during the crisis, while calls to 511 were up 140 percent. “All the news services linked to 511,” said Melanie Crotty, director of Traveler Information at MTC.

*Only the first three days of the five-plus day bridge closure are shown here.

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Contents

• Bay Bridge East Span:
  • Diary of a Dramatic Construction Operation
  • Labor Day Weekend Photo Album
  • Mini Toll Plaza Vanishes
  • Officials Turn Eyes Toward China
• Project Update: Next in Line for Seismic Retrofits: Dumbarton and Antioch Bridges
• Region Celebrates Opening of Bicycle/Pedestrian Path on Benicia-Martinez Bridge
• Facts and Figures: Traffic to Traveler Info Service Soars During Bridge Closure