OTTAWA – On Friday, the CRTC assigned the number 511 for weather and traveller information services.
The decision paves the way for a cross-Canada, 24-hour telephone service providing Canadians and others with vital weather and traveller information. The goal of Canada’s 511 service is to provide up-to-date information about weather and travel conditions so that callers can make informed choices for their travel plans. A similar service is already available in more than half the states in the U.S.
Once Canada’s 511 service is in place, Environment Canada, one of the partners in the Canada 511 Consortium, will provide current weather information, including warnings about major weather events.
Each province and territory could contribute travel information that may include advisories about congestion, road and lane closures due to construction, winter maintenance and road conditions. Various public and private transportation systems could contribute information about scheduling and delays for a variety of sources, including public transit, intercity buses, ferries, rail and air.
A launch date for the service is yet to be determined but Environment Canada says it wants to launch it in 2007.
The Canada 511 Consortium is a partnership of government and private agencies that includes Environment Canada, Transport Canada, provincial and territorial governments, the Canadian Urban Transit Association and the Intelligent Transportation Systems Society of Canada (ITS Canada).
