About 511
511 is a national traveller information service.
Ontario 511 is a bilingual digital traveller information service provided by the Ministry of Transportation. This website has been designed by and for users to help people plan their routes and travel safely and efficiently across the province of Ontario.
Vision
To present public information that impacts provincial highway travel in order to improve safety and reduce congestion.
Delivery Channels
The Ontario 511 service can be accessed via three channels:
- 1) Telephone: by dialing 5-1-1
- 2) Internet: www.Ontario.ca/511
- 3) Twitter: using our main or regionalized accounts
Additional ways to access the service include:
- Outside of the province access by dialing 1-866-929-4257
- TTY service by dialing 1-866-471-8929 (for those who are deaf or hard of hearing)
Ontario 511 History
In 1986, the Ministry of Transportation offered their first traveller information service to the public with a winter road conditions telephone hotline. In 1999, the ministry expanded the service by launching a Road Condition Website. By 2004, the service evolved into the Traveller Road Information Portal (TRIP) website and offered an interactive telephone service.
Since then, the service has been rebranded to “Ontario 511”. The service has also been enhanced to provide 24/7 access to bilingual and accessible highway travel information through multiple channels – telephone, website and Twitter. In addition, the ministry offers a Track My Plow service to provide travellers with more information during the winter months.