Navigate North Texas traffic, highways and transit with updated app for travelers
North Texas travelers have a customized tool to help them reach their destinations.
The updated 511DFW Travel Information System, launched Nov. 4 in the Fort Worth-Dallas area, is available to travelers to guide them to make better decisions about their mode of transportation and transit routes as well as links to Mobility Assistance Patrols.
The free system — available in English and Spanish at www.511DFW.org — provides real-time travel information, including highway conditions and transit agency routes.
The system, administered by the North Central Texas Council of Governments since 2017, also includes information about traffic speeds, toll lane facilities, traffic signals, highway incidents, construction zones, EV charging stations, off-road walk and bike paths, traffic camera snapshots and special events.
The site also includes routes and services from local transit agencies, including Fort Worth-based Trinity Metro, Dallas Area Rapid Transit and the Denton County Transportation Authority.
"One of the other things you can do is get directions either via car, transit, walk or bike," Eric Quintana, senior transportation planner for the council of governments, said during a transit meeting Nov. 11. "The system is connected to the transit (of) the region and gives you the best route that you select."
Quintana said the system "gives you a better way of getting there" more efficiently.
The system combines travel data from other apps, including Google Maps, Apple Maps and Waze, with traffic and event data provided by local municipalities.
A 511DFW app is also available for iOS and Android devices.
The app, Quintana said, is an easy way to allow the public and agency users to report transportation issues with a focus on location-based highway roadside assistance to aid travelers.
"For instance, if you run out of gas, if you have the app, the app will tell you exactly where you are at and it will call the transit agency related to the roadside assistance to help you with whatever issue you have," he said. "It will help you connect with the facility that will provide those services."
The site provides directions to travelers.
"There is no voice turn-by-turn navigation, but a voice 'talk to me' feature allows the app to read information to motorists about traffic congestion or road closures on their routes," the council of governments said in an information sheet.
Quintana said the site and app are easy to use since people can use an email account to sign up and create a password.
"You should be good to go from there," he said.
Transportation officials are urging residents to consider using transit services as North Texas' population surges.
North Texas leaders are considering transit options, including high-speed rail, as Fort Worth is now the 12th largest city in the nation, and Arlington, the largest U.S. city without mass public transit , prepares to host multiple World Cup games .
"We are soon to be the third-largest metro region in the country. ... We have to have transit to get Texans across Texas, period," Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker said Aug. 29 of the division between Tarrant and Dallas officials over progress on high-speed rail .
Parker's Urban Rail Committee Supporting Economic Development & Tourism, launched with Trinity Metro, is considering the reintroduction of streetcars in Fort Worth to aid in mobility options.
The council of governments will continue to refine the 511DFW system with public input. In the next few years, officials plan to add information about parking and low-water crossings to the system.
Users are encouraged to leave a comment on the app or website. They can also call 511 in North Texas to provide comments. Irving-based Kapsch TrafficCom, a mobility solutions firm, built the new 511DFW website and designed the mobile app.
