Florida 511

In 2016, IBI launched a new state-of-the-art advanced traveler information system (ATMS) for the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT). The Florida 511 traveler information system provides real-time traffic information on interstate highways, toll roads and major metropolitan roadways. Its updates are available to Florida commuters via phone, web, mobile app, or by following FL511 on Twitter.

The system includes a responsive website, natural-language interactive voice response (IVR) system, door-to-door personalized routes, travel times and incident alerts via email or text, iOS and Android mobile apps, and third-party (external) data and video services. The system ingests high-quality, real-time roadway incident, traffic speed and volume data from 13 traffic management centers located throughout the state, and normalizes that data for clear and consistent messaging via all dissemination channels.

It didn’t take long for the new system to undergo its first major test. Just 36 hours after launch, Hurricane Hermine (category 1) made landfall on the western coast of Florida. Usage increased significantly, but the system did not experience any operational issues during or following the storm, as system capacity was scaled to match usage. Following Hermine, mother nature delivered Hurricane Matthew (a category 4) just 30 days after launch. After the initial one-two punch of tropical storms, baseline system usage continued to increase steadily, with 677,000 web sessions and 426,000 calls during the first four months of operation.

This fall, Hurricane Irma, another category 4 hurricane, made landfall on the southwest coast of Florida, driving system usage to an all-time record, with 2 million web sessions and 162,000 calls during a ten-day period encompassing the storm, without interruption.