USING 511 FOR PUBLIC OUTREACH DURING REGIONAL EMERGENCIES

摘要

511 has been a successful traveler information system in the Bay Area since the telephonenumber was adopted and launched in 2002. Planned and unplanned events in 2007 furtherevolved 511 from a traveler information resource to a key tool for public outreach to be used foremergency management and response. These events were: 1) the MacArthur Maze freewaycollapse, 2) planned Bay Bridge closure over the 2007 Labor Day weekend, and 3) formal 511participation in a 2007 regional emergency preparedness exercise with Caltrans and theCalifornia Highway Patrol. This paper will review each of these events along with specificlessons learned in using 511 as a tool for public outreach during emergencies. The mostsignificant lesson learned was that the public and policymakers who regularly rely on 511 in theBay Area automatically expected 511 to be a resource in emergencies. Fulfilling suchexpectations requires considerable investment in specific tools and operational protocols.Keywords