Thursday, 4:30 PM
With new system, traffic info is just a short dial away
By Noah Bierman, Globe Staff
Boston-area commuters who want to know where the traffic snarls are before they get to them can dial 511 from now on.
The new number replaces star-1, which was not available to T-Mobile customers and did not link up with traffic alert systems in other states.
Transportation Secretary Bernard Cohen and other officials announced the number switch today. The new system links Massachusetts with 27 other states, including all the New England states except for Connecticut.
Massachusetts had the nation’s first telephone traveler alert system in 1993 and it remains the most popular, with 575,000 calls per month.
Luisa Paiewonsky, commissioner of the Massachusetts Highway Department, hopes an advertising blitz for the new number will increase calls by 10 percent to 20 percent.
Commuters who want to access the system from a land line can call 617-374-1234. Commuters can also call both numbers to report road debris or get updates on ongoing traffic projects. To get traffic updates, punch in the route number when prompted.
SmartRoute Systems runs the program through a $1.5 million annual contract with the state, though the company has billed Mass Highway 20 percent less than that in most years, said Jeff Larson, general manager of SmartRoute.
