Iowa DOT Travel Information Service

Travel Information

511 Helpful Hints

www.511ia.org

511 Web Site Hints

HOW IT'S ORGANIZED: The Iowa 511 site contains two primary navigation tools, a vertical menu located on the left hand side and a tabbed interface along the top. The left hand menu contains links to information about the 511 site and to the State of Iowa Government websites. The tabs are key to accessing actual travel information and are organized in 5 categories.
- "Major Delays" displays accidents, incidents, and adverse driving conditions.
- "Road Work" displays construction and maintenance activities.
- "Road Conditions" displays driving conditions.
- "Weather" displays current weather forecasts and watches and warnings issued by the National Weather Service.
- "All Advisories" displays all situations found under "Major Delays", "Road Work", and "Road Conditions".

CHANGING LOCATIONS: Use the drop-down menu located above the map on the left hand side to change your viewing area.

TEXT ONLY/SHOW MAP OPTION: The "Show Map" option is the default setting for the website. To view situations without the map, simply click on the "Text Only" link located near the top of the screen, on the right hand side. If you wish to view the map once again, click on the "Show Map" link located in the same proximity as the "Text Only" link appeared.

USING THE SITE MAP: For a list of text links to navigate between the different situation categories and locations, click on the "Site Map" link, located on the left hand menu.

511 Phone Service Hints

HOW IT’S ORGANIZED: 511 organizes information into five main categories for your convenience. Simply say "go to menu" or press 0 any time during your call to hear these choices. Then, simply say the category you want.
- "Highway traffic" offers reports about construction and other delays.
- "Road weather" provides reports on adverse driving conditions.
- "Statewide summary" gives a summary of urgent reports statewide and also lets you hear routine reports on routes you choose.
- "Regional summary" lets you hear urgent and routine reports around a specific city that you select.
- "Transit" lets you hear information about public transportation choices.
GET HELP: Say "help" or press * any time during your call for more instructions on how to use 511.
VOICE OR KEYPAD ACTIVATED: You can speak or use your keypad to make requests while using 511. For example, you can request reports for Highway 61 by saying, "Highway 61," or by dialing 61# on your keypad.
REPEAT INFORMATION: To repeat a report, say "go back" or "repeat that."
SKIP THE INTRODUCTION: When you hear the 511 introductory music, say the name of any city to get a summary of urgent reports in that area.
WE WANT YOUR FEEDBACK: Your feedback on this service is important. When you're done with your call, you can say "goodbye" or press *** to leave your comments.