This release was issued under a previous government.

“We would like to thank the public, our highway maintenance contractors and our partners for your shared role in making the roads safer for all of us. By using Alberta’s official road reports at 511 Alberta, you are taking control of your own safety and the safety of others.”

Wayne Drysdale, Minister of Transportation

At the 511 Alberta anniversary celebration, Minister Drysdale officially launched 511 Mobile—a greatly enhanced version of 511 Alberta designed for viewing on most mobile devices. Travellers seeking road reports on their mobile devices now have access to 511 Alberta’s best-loved feature: its more than 100 highway cameras.

511 Mobile also offers Albertans a GPS function that, when activated, can provide a user’s location on the 511 Alberta map. This feature allows users to locate themselves in reference to the provincial highway network, should they need to call for help or report an incident or collision.

“While 511 Mobile makes it easier to access critical road information on the go, please keep in mind that using your mobile device while driving is illegal and extremely dangerous. Motorists should invite their passengers to check 511 Mobile or pull over safely before checking it themselves.”

Wayne Drysdale, Minister of Transportation

511 Alberta: A Year in Review

Over the past year, the 511 Alberta website has received close to 200 million hits from 1.2 million unique visitors who needed reliable, up-to-date road information. These numbers reveal that people are coming back to the site repeatedly and accessing several pieces of information in order to make safer travel decisions.  

User activity was particularly high during several extreme weather events. In March 2013, when the province was hit with a severe snow storm, the numbers jumped from 17,811 visits on March 20, to 94,351 visits on March 21.

Visits to 511 Alberta also rose dramatically in June when the province experienced the worst flooding disaster in Canadian history.

  • On June 19, before the flooding, 511 Alberta had 4,224 visitors.
  • When the flooding hit on June 20, that number jumped to 52,880.
  • The following day, the number of visitors to 511 Alberta jumped again to 81,159 and remained high for the rest of the month. Following the floods, motorists had access to the critical information they needed such as road closures and estimated re-opening dates for many of the highways.

Looking ahead

Embarking on its second year, 511 Alberta is poised to launch several initiatives:

  • Additional help content will be embedded in the site to improve usability, enabling users to get the most out of their 511 Alberta experience.
  • 511 Alberta continues to strengthen its partnerships with contractors, first responders, RCMP and other partners to enhance communications to Albertans.
  • 511 Alberta is expanding its use of social media, recognizing the importance of maintaining an ongoing dialogue with the public and its partners to better serve Albertans.

The 511 Alberta website provides Albertans with access to more than 100 highway cameras, as well as interactive maps linking to real-time traffic information on:

  • highway conditions;
  • weather information;
  • construction updates;
  • incident reports such as detours and closures;
  • ferry crossing times;
  • national/provincial park information; and
  • border-crossing wait times.

The distribution of reliable and timely road report information supports community and market access by providing motorists with safer and more direct highway travel through the province. 511 Alberta is part of the Redford government’s commitment to providing Albertans with the tools they need to make safe driving decisions on Alberta’s roads and highways.

Under the Building Alberta Plan, our government is investing in families and communities, living within our means, and opening new markets for Alberta's resources to ensure we're able to fund the services Albertans told us matter most to them. We will continue to deliver the responsible change Albertans voted for.

Related information

Winter Driving Tips (pdf)

511 Alberta Twitter Giveaway

Multimedia

511 Alberta - One Year Anniversary

View on Flickr: 511 Alberta Infographic

Day in the life of a Highway Maintenance Contractor Video (WMV download)

Road reports

For up-to-date road information and traffic delays

Call:  511 toll-free

Click:  511.alberta.ca

Follow:  @511Alberta