In the age of Google Maps, smartphone apps and social media, calling a phone number to get travel information will soon be a thing of the past.
Starting May 19, travelers in Washington will no longer be able to access automated statewide travel information by calling 511, the Washington Department of Transportation said in a news release Monday.
The department cited new technology, declining call volume and the cost of operating the program for why the line is going away.
According to WSDOT, call volume for 511 decreased from 2.2 million calls in 2009 to fewer than 302,000 calls in 2022 — a 89% decrease. Meanwhile, the program costs more than $150,000 a year and staff time to update travel information in "increasingly antiquated technology," along with maintenance of signs about the program.
The automated phone line has offered information on traffic impacts, crash alerts, weather forecasts, mountain pass conditions, ferry information and express lane status. Much of that information is now accessible through third-party map apps, GPS systems integrated in vehicles and WSDOT's own online tools and Twitter accounts.
If you don't have access to the internet or a smartphone, there are still ways to get travel information by phone. You can find information for:
* Washington State Ferries at 888-808-7977
* Washington tolling information related to Good To Go at 866-936-8246
* Oregon statewide travel at 503-588-2941
* Idaho statewide travel at 888-432-7623
* Seattle local weather at 206-526-6087
* Spokane local weather at 509-244-5992
* Highway advisory radio alerts on 530 AM and 1610 AM
Aside from online tools like WSDOT's real-time travel map, the department is active on Twitter, and updates are posted from these accounts:
* @wsdot — Statewide updates.
* @wsdot_traffic — Traffic and construction reports for King, Snohomish, Skagit and Whatcom counties.
* @wsdot_sw — Traffic reports for Vancouver and Southwest Washington.
* @wsdot_passes — Mountain pass reports.
* @wsdot_tacoma — Traffic and construction reports for Pierce, Thurston, Mason and Kitsap counties.
* @snoqualmiepass — I-90 construction updates.
* @wsferries — Ferry alerts and updates.
* @wsdot_east — Traffic and highway news and information for east of the Cascades.
* @wsdot_north — Highway traffic information for Whatcom, Skagit and Island counties.
* @wsdot_520 — Highway 520 traffic information and construction updates.
