Call 5-1-1 for Road, Weather & Traffic Conditions

When I go to work, all I have to do is get myself to the work parking lot, and from then on, someone else is responsible for getting me where I need to be.

I drive to the parking lot.  A shuttle bus driver picks me up and drops me off at the airport.  I check in at the employee area and head to my plane.  I get on the plane and someone else flies me to where ever I’m going.  Then I get off the plane and go to a designated pick up area, where a hotel shuttle will pick me up as previously arranged.  Arriving at my hotel, I am given the time for the pick up van to take me back to the airport, where I’ll repeat the process again.

The only decision that I have to make is what time to leave my house to go to work.  Someone else handles all other transportation arrangements; I don’t have to worry about a thing.  Oh sure, there are those occasions when travel doesn’t go quite like planned, but even then, I call someone else and they take care of all the new arrangements.

Traveling by car, however, takes far more planning, not only in the preparations, but also in the actual driving itself.  Weather conditions, road construction, detours, and traffic, can all impact travel time and other decisions.  It’s not just travelers that have to worry about these things, but work commuters as well.

Because I don’t take driving vacations very often, I wasn’t aware that you could call 5-1-1 in most state and/or metro areas for up to the minute traffic, weather and road conditions.   According to AAA, at least 30 states and/or metro areas currently offer 511 service, with an additional 10 states to be added to the list by year-end.

You can find out if your state participates in the 511 program by checking here.

Photo credit:  flickr