Don't leave home without your 511 tutorial — regardless of where you're going.

The state Department of Transportation's new 511 travel information system is now operational.

By calling 511 or visiting www.511ny.org, commuters, occasional travelers and tourists will find information previously scattered among multiple Web sites and services consolidated in one centralized system.

The frequently-asked-questions feature on the site contains a detailed explanation about how to use the service from cell phones and smartphones on the road, as well as from land lines and computers at home.

"This is an umbrella system that provides a single point of information through phones, e-notices or the Web," said Todd Westhuis, the DOT's 511 project manager. "The goal of the system is to improve mobility, give people the kind of information that will enhance the quality of their lives, as well as get them out of their single-occupancy vehicles."

Tourists, for example, can enter the names of major destinations, such as Yankee Stadium, on the Web site and learn everything they need to know about getting there by car or train. Schedules for 50 transit operators are already integrated into the trip planner and another 30 will be added in the days ahead.

"You can now plan a trip online from Buffalo to Montauk without using a car," said Westhuis.

Instant warnings of trouble ahead

Commuters and day-trippers can use their cell phones — 80 telecommunications companies support 511 calls — to locate alternate routes if they encounter a flooded highway or a clogged work zone. Online, they'll have the view from 752 traffic cameras — including ones installed along highways in adjacent states.

The DOT, which contracted with Telvent and Verizon to develop the system, estimates 511 will cost the federal government $2.5 million a year in New York.

In addition, 511 is now the portal for TransAlert, the DOT's customized personal alert service that flags drivers to incidents along their routes. TransAlert, one of the first elements of 511 to be established, has the ability to push out 100,000 alerts a minute, a capability that can be readily utilized in an emergency.

Only three years ago, Westhuis pointed out, the state had no effective way to warn people about widespread flooding in Central New York and resulting road closings.

Commuters who use any of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, NJ Transit or Port Authority personal alert services, however, should continue to do so.

"There's a desire to get to that point, to consolidated e-alerts," said Westhuis.

And there's a desire to get to the point where manufacturers include 511 capability in smartphones and GPS devices, in the not-too-distance future when every phone will be a smartphone and every dashboard will sport a GPS device.

Copyright © 2009 Hudson Valley Media Group, a division of Dow Jones Local Media Group