What’s the 511?
If you get the paper, you may have been greeted this morning by a story (and a sticker!) about the new phone in system from the RI Department of Transportation. You can dial 5-1-1 from your cell phone (or an archaic contraption known as a "land-line") and talk to a computer that will, allegedly, tell you about any sort of traffic problems that may await you on state highways. Sounds cool.
As luck would have it, I was driving on 95 north this afternoon when I saw the awful glow of brake lights in the distance. Within seconds I was stopped, right around the Jefferson Blvd exit in Warwick. What a great time to try out the 5-1-1! I dialed up the number and a very nice computer answered, asking me to tell it what city I was in. Actually, before it got to ask me that I made the mistake of clearing my throat, which the man in the computer interpreted as some sort of attempt to communicate with him. Not discerning any actual words from my throat clearing, he pleasantly asked me to repeat the city I was in.
"Warwick."
"You said. Warwick. Is this correct?"
"Yes."
"There is one traffic advisory in. Warwick. on Route I-95 north. To hear advisories for a specific route, say it now. For instance, say route I-95 north"
"I-95 North."
"You said. I-95 North. Is this correct?."
"Yes"
(I love technology, but I hate talking to computers)
So the friendly computer told me there was a breakdown in the left lane at the Thurbers Ave exit. Wow, I thought, that's pretty bad to back up traffic for five miles! But I was pretty suped that I could actually know what was causing my auto-frustration in advance of getting to the problem. Meanwhile, we're all inching along until roughly the Park Ave overpass in Cranston, where, on the right side of the road, a flatbed was clearing an accident.
Smooth sailing after that. Way to go, 511.
March 11th, 2005 at 10:38 am
It occurs to me now that not everyone lives where I do and may not know any of the locations I referenced. Sorry about that. In a nutshell, the 511 was wrong.
March 11th, 2005 at 11:15 am
I’ve never understood why people obsess over “traffic and weather” - two conditions you can’t control. Aside from maybe taking 295 around Providence if you’re coming from South County and heading up to Boston, its not like knowing the traffic situation is going to help you in any way. Cuz even if you get off the highway and try to take the city streets, it’s generally going to take you just as long to get where you’re going.
I remember one time it took me over an hour to get from my house in Washington Park to Wickenden Street because Allens and Eddy were both so backed up… because everyone had gotten off at Thurbers to avoid 95 traffic.
March 12th, 2005 at 12:18 am
That would be Route 195A, otherwise known as Eddy and Point Streets. I used to work in Davol Square, fun place to be a pedestrian at 5pm.
Speed limits, traffic lights, lane markings, this is Rhode Island, we don’t need that stuff.