Road line getting heavy traffic
511 service has 19,000 calls since Feb. 4
Thousands of Albertans are “embracing” a new road report service introduced by the province — but not everyone is happy with the system’s reliability.
Since the 511 service went live Feb. 4, more than 19,000 calls have been made to 511 seeking updates on highway conditions, roadwork, major incidents, weather alerts, availability of ferry services and wait times at border crossings. There have also been more than 120,000 visits to the 511 Alberta website, where users can access a map that shows live road conditions using 100 highway cameras that refresh every 20 minutes.
The 511 Twitter account has also amassed more than 4,000 followers since the launch.
“We see that Albertans are embracing 511 Alberta road reports as their source for reliable road reports, weather and other information related to travel,” said Nancy Beasley Hosker, spokeswoman with Alberta Transportation.
But David Durden, who used the service on the weekend, complained the information provided by the site was “too little, too late,” and that the website was difficult to use.
Durden said he checked the website at 10 a.m. Saturday before hitting the road to Saskatchewan, which showed road conditions were clear.
But when he got to Beiseker, conditions rapidly deteriorated en route to Three Hills, with blowing snow that melted into icy slush.
He said he was forced to turn back to Calgary, which took more than two hours, as the roads were snow-covered by then. Yet when he checked the 511 website at 2 p.m., there was no indication the road conditions were poor.
He said the Saskatchewan website warned motorists against travel and the RCMP had issued advisories not to drive in those areas.
He claims the 511 website was not updated to reflect poor weather conditions until 6 p.m.
Durden said he also found the website difficult to use on his iPad, adding the map slid around too much when he clicked on the camera icons to get an up-to-date look at the highways.
“I used to use the AMA equivalent. These guys inherited the map from the AMA but, unfortunately, some of the fancying up they did needs to be looked at to see if it really works,” he said.
He added he has sent a feedback report to the department, something Beasley Hosker encourages other 511 users to do if they encounter a problem.
“We want to hear from folks if there are some lags in information getting updated, because we do require that it’s updated at least once a day and more often if conditions warrant a change,” she said, adding she’s passed Durden’s concerns on to 511 staff.
She said the department relies on maintenance contractors out on the roads to send updates. But if they’re busy clearing the roads, they may not respond as quickly as needed.
Also, the department can’t have someone constantly updating what’s happening on the entire stretch of the highway, especially when weather can vary from one part of highway to another.
She encouraged people to click on the cameras for live views of main roadways, which automatically updates every 20 minutes.
She said she has taken note of Durden’s comments about the user-friendliness of the website, but added many others also have indicated how much they like the new system and the map.
With any new service, there is always room for improvement, Beasley Hosker said.
“The minister is asking for both good things they like and any suggestions they have,” she added.
Already, the department has heard from users asking for a two-way conversation on Twitter. Currently, the Twitter account is broadcast only.
She said the department needs to make sure the people they are re-tweeting and the information they are sharing with their followers is “up-to-date and accurate.”
A number of people also have asked for a smartphone app, which is being considered for the future, she added.
“I can’t say when, but it’s part of the enhancements we’re looking at.”
She directed people to visit the 511.alberta.ca website and click on the feedback tab to send any comments or suggestions for improvement.