ATTENTION IPHONE USERS: For the best experience using this app, your iPhone's location services for this app must be set to "Always." This allows the app to provide alerts even when it is not on the main screen, or when the phone goes into sleep mode. To verify that this setting is correct, go to Settings -> Privacy -> Location Services. Please be sure that the general Location Services button is set to on/green, and then select "Always" next to the app.
511PA is Pennsylvania's official travel information service which provides travelers with reliable, current traffic and weather information, as well as links to other transportation services. 511PA is designed to help motorists reach their destination in the most efficient manner when traveling in Pennsylvania.
The 511PA mobile application covers all PennDOT - and Pennsylvania Turnpike-operated roadways for roughly 40,000 miles of roadway. Traffic incidents and construction alerts are reported on all roadways and traffic speeds are reported on approximately 15,000 miles of roadway.
Yes, users can opt to hear information from select neighboring states - currently 511 information from NJ and West Virginia are available.
Just click into the setting on the app, then tap "Edit Location Preferences" (on iOS devices) or "Location Advisory Preferences" (on Android devices), and "check" the state advisories you'd like to hear. When you drive near or into those states, traveler advisories within your range will continue to be broadcast to you.
With 511PA, travelers can find such information such as:
In an effort to provide the most reliable information to travelers, 511PA does not update until PennDOT is able to verify that an incident is occurring either through its traffic-camera network or through confirmed reports from state and local police. Crashes and other delays beyond PennDOT's control, such as vehicle breakdowns, are not immediately available on the system and travelers may encounter traffic delays before that information is posted on 511PA. Other sources of information include the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, the National Weather Service, and private traffic information services.
PennDOT provides this information as a public service based upon reports collected from PennDOT staff and other sources. However, these reports are based on the information available at the time of publication and cannot be guaranteed as to accuracy or timeliness. Actual conditions may vary from those reported, though every effort is made to keep information comprehensive and current.
As weather and road conditions change rapidly, the information reported through 511PA should not be used as the only factor in determining your travel decisions. Motorists are cautioned to be alert to changing conditions and adjust their driving accordingly.
Launch the hands-free 511PA application before you put your car in drive. You will hear active PennDOT advisories that are near you. Now put down the phone and focus on driving. There's nothing on your phone that you need to touch or read. Just listen for travel alerts.
The 511PA app will remain "on" while you drive, automatically activating when you approach an area impacted by a PennDOT advisory. The app will broadcast any travel alerts for reported conditions within a set mile-range (that you can set for yourself) of your current location.
Conditions will be broadcast once, and then the broadcast stream will go quiet until
While the app has additional features in the "More Features" section, PennDOT reminds motorists to not interact with the app while driving.
If you get a call, or make a call while a travel alert is playing, the alert will pause, and will resume playing when the call has ended. You can select to hear advisories while you are on and active call, provided that you have a data plan that permits simultaneous data and talk.
Have a question not answered here? Please ask!
