The Hawaii Department of Transportation (DOT) has introduced the new 511 GoAkamai by Phone system in order to provide real-time traffic information and updates for the island of Oahu.
The 511 system is an interactive voice response tool that helps commuters plan their travel.
Using the new service, travellers can dial 511 and get quick information on roadway delays and drive times, reach the Freeway Service Patrol, and hear public transportation information.
DOT director Glenn Okimoto said: “511 was designed to provide travellers with an additional resource they can use to plan their commutes.
“The phone option is a convenient alternative for people who prefer to make a call.”
The 511 technology features ‘self-tuning’ that enables the system to adapt over time to callers’ needs, including capturing new destinations and improving voice recognition capabilities depending on pronunciation.
It also has a convenient memory function that allows the callers to save time by automatically pulling up earlier requested routes and information.
In addition to the new service, the DOT upgraded its GoAkamai mobile app for iPhone and Android, which offers 24/7 traffic congestion information, including drive times and images from more than 200 traffic cameras.
With the recent enhancements, users will now be able to access an incidents tab that shows specific types of travel delays such as construction and accidents.
In addition, GoAkamai.org home page features new icons that have been to the colour-coded traffic congestion map in order to alert travellers of delays like incidents, congestion, construction, detours, weather and events.
GoAkamai initiative employs high-tech roadway monitoring to provide real-time travel information, as well as car-pooling, bus and bicycling information.
The initiative offers services such as GoAkamai.org, the GoAkamai Mobile Apps, and 511 GoAkamai by Phone.
