Date:
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Contact:
John Resha, Public Transportation and Rail, (206) 464-1253
Michael Forbis, Traffic Operations (206) 440-4463
Meghan Soptich, Communications, (206) 440-4964
SEATTLE – Commuters and people on-the-go now have even more real-time traffic information at their fingertips.
WSDOT is offering three new tools to help drivers make informed travel choices before they get on the road:
- Traffic and travel information on your cell phone or PDA: Drivers will now be able to access the popular Seattle area traffic flow map, ferry schedules, mountain pass reports, and current travel times from their PDAs or cell phones.
- HOV travel times on the Web: Drivers will be able to see and compare HOV and general purpose lane travel times.
- Electronic highway message signs on the Web: Drivers will be able to visit WSDOT’s Web site and view messages that currently appear on electronic highway signs.
“Now people can get real-time traffic information when they’re on the run,” explains John Resha, system integration manager with the Public Transportation and Rail Division. “They can use the information to decide which route to take or whether to carpool or ride the bus.”
The Seattle traffic page is already one of the most popular pages on the WSDOT site, with more people viewing it each day than any other page. First launched in 1994, it now receives close to 400,000 daily views. WSDOT expects that even more people will visit the page now that there are new ways to access it.
“The small screen version of our Web pages makes real-time traffic information available when you’re not at a computer,” explains Michael Forbis, a traffic engineer with WSDOT. “Now you can view the traffic flow map from your cell phone or PDA.”
In addition to the flow map, the small screen page offers several other popular WSDOT Web features. For instance, drivers can check current travel times from Everett to Seattle, see what time the next ferry to Kingston leaves, or read the latest road conditions report for Snoqualmie Pass.
WSDOT also upgraded the Seattle travel time Web page. Drivers can now compare travel times for HOV and general purpose lanes.
“This is a great new service,” Resha says. “Drivers will be able to see whether it makes sense for them to grab a friend and save time on their commute. The idea is to give drivers the best information possible and let them decide what makes the most sense for them.” On many Seattle routes, drivers can save up to 16 minutes a trip by taking the HOV lanes during morning and afternoon commutes.
The third new tool allows people to go online to see what is currently displayed on electronic message signs along Puget Sound highways. These signs alert drivers to blocking incidents, unexpected driving conditions, maintenance or construction closures, and other significant incidents. WSDOT’s new online variable message sign map provides people another way to get real-time traffic conditions before they get on the road.
For more information:
Small screen traffic page: www.wsdot.wa.gov/small/ (to get started, type this address into the internet browser on your mobile device)
HOV travel times: www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/seattle/traveltimes/
Variable message sign map: www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/seattle/vms/
Web Tools FAQs: www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/seattle/questions/
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