
The number is being discontinued due to declining call volumes
OLYMPIA – On Friday (May 19), WSDOT will deactivate the 5-1-1 phone number which provides automated statewide travel information. As announced last month, the number is being discontinued due to declining call volumes, the advancement of new technology and the cost to operate and maintain the system.
At the height of the program, 5-1-1 received more than 2.2 million calls a year. However, since 2009, call volumes have decreased 89%. The program also costs more than $150,000 a year to operate and requires staff time to update the travel information and maintain signs. Once discontinued, these resources will be reallocated to more efficient and emerging information technologies to better serve Washington travelers.
There are many resources available for timely and accurate travel information, including the WSDOT app, statewide travel maps, Twitter accounts, Facebook account, electronic highway variable message signs and highway advisory radio stations – as well as several third-party mapping apps for smartphones. Travelers without access to these technologies can call local WSDOT offices for assistance.
Additional information regarding the deactivation of 5-1-1 was provided in an April 24 online blog post announcing 5-1-1 will be discontinued.
Also read:
- Opinion: TriMet contract: MAX vehicles cost $4.5 millionRep. John Ley examines TriMet’s MAX vehicle purchases, arguing most were replacements and not connected to the bridge project.
- Expect delays on I-5 near Woodland for bridge inspection, May 18WSDOT will close a lane of southbound I-5 near Woodland on May 18 for a safety inspection.
- Opinion: ‘I’m more than just a little skeptical that IBR officials are doing everything they can to limit the cost of this project’Ken Vance shares his concerns over rising costs and limited contractor interest in the Interstate Bridge Replacement Program.
- Letter: ‘IBR has relied on this video to instill fear in the public and government officials to promote the construction of a new bridge’Bob Ortblad questions IBR’s use of a seismic video and urges a shift toward tunnel alternatives in this critical letter to the editor.
- Troubled TriMet and fleecing taxpayers with LRTJohn Ley analyzes TriMet’s ridership decline and what it signals for post-pandemic public transit in the region.