New 511 Travel Information Service to Assist Commuters & Motorists

San Bernardino Associated Governments (SANBAG) and the Riverside County Transportation Commission (RCTC) announce the official launch of the Inland Empire 511 travel information system, a phone and web based system that provides commuters with real-time traffic information, bus and rail trip planning, rideshare information, and more.

Users can now call 511 from any phone in Riverside County and San Bernardino County, or click www.ie511.org on the web, and get all of the information they need to plan a trip, avoid congestion, and increase their mobility no matter where they are going in Southern California. IE511 is a toll free number and is available at no additional charge other than users? regular phone carrier contract charges. The service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

?The IE511 phone service and web site are both an easy to use service and benefit all Southern California commuters,? said Paul Eaton, SANBAG President and Mayor of the City of Montclair. ?We encourage everyone to call or click before taking a trip so that you can ?know before you go.??

Real-time traffic information at IE511 provides travel times and incident information for all Southern California freeways, not just freeways in the Inland Empire. Areas covered include San Diego, Orange, Los Angeles, and Ventura Counties.

The website, www.ie511.org, features a real-time traffic map that provides travel time and incident information and also shows Caltrans freeway cameras and bulletins posted on freeway Changeable Message Signs (CMS). The traffic section also provides links for Inland Empire freeway construction information, major road closures via the Caltrans Highway Information Network, as well as the California Highway Patrol (CHP) traffic incident report log. Toll road and carpool lane maps are available, in addition to information on other motorist aid services.

The bus and rail section of IE511 provides information about all Inland Empire transit operators, including Metrolink and Dial A Ride services. The web site also offers a door-to-door bus/rail trip planner, powered by Google Transit. Callers will be transferred to area transit operators for specific route information.

Under the rideshare section of the web site, commuters will find online ridematching for carpools and vanpools, a commute cost calculator, and information about rideshare incentives, park and ride lots, and employer assistance programs. The phone system offers a direct transfer to the Inland Empire Rideshare hotline, which can provide callers with the information noted above and more.

?Thanks to this service, commuters residing in or visiting the Inland Empire have robust and up-to-date travel information at their fingertips so they can make the best decision possible about how to travel in the Southern California region? said Bob Buster, RCTC Chair and Riverside County Supervisor.?

For callers who want to access IE511 from outside of Riverside and San Bernardino counties, a toll free number is available: 1-877-MY-IE511 (877.694.3511).