Orange County Transportation Authority Introduces TravelTIP Service to Public
ORANGE, Calif.--June 11, 2001--New Real-Time Traffic Information Service Will Assist Commuters
With Up-To-The-Minute Details On Orange County Freeway and Surface
Street Traffic Flow, Closures, and Advisories
TravelTIP, the Orange County Transportation Authority's (OCTA) new real-time traffic and commuter information service that provides up-to-the minute details on Orange County freeway and surface street traffic flow, closures, and advisories -- goes live today.
The service, which can be accessed for free by either logging onto the TravelTIP Web site at www.traveltip.net or by calling 949/451-1TIP, also dispenses current OCTA bus route, schedule, and fare information, and links to a wide variety of important transportation Web sites.
"Through the use of TravelTIP, commuters in Orange County will be able to save time and have more control over their personal transportation choices and schedules," said Irvine City Councilman Michael Ward, Chairman of the OCTA. "It is a prototype of an emerging futuristic intelligent transportation system that will soon be extensively used by Southern Californians to help them navigate their way through their mobility challenges."
The TravelTIP Web site features include:
| -- | Traffic speeds and estimated travel times on Orange County freeways and surface streets with data that is updated every 30 seconds; |
| -- | Web tools that allow the user to zoom-in on stretches of freeway or surface streets to check traffic conditions that are of personal interest; |
| -- | City-by-city traffic advisories, as well as notices of freeway and surface street closures; |
| -- | Map overlays and rosters of county park-and-ride facilities, public parking facilities, and both bus and train stations; |
| -- | A link to the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) TranStar interactive trip planner; |
| -- | Links to all of Southern California's regional transportation agencies, the John Wayne Airport and Los Angeles World Airports Web sites, and |
| -- | Links to up-to-date OCTA bus routes, maps, schedules, and fares. |
The TravelTIP phone hotline at 949/451-1TIP features an interactive touchtone menu that also allows the public to receive similar information, including current Orange County traffic conditions and advisories.
TravelTIP data is collected exclusively from Orange County information sources, including the Caltrans Traffic Management Center, local closed circuit television cameras along transportation corridors, California Highway Patrol incident reports, freeway and roadway sensors, city traffic engineers, and motorists who call in reports.
"OCTA's TravelTIP system is one of the first of its kind in the entire nation," said Gloria Stoppenhagen, ITS manager for the Federal Highway Administration. "...And it's only the beginning. The Federal Highway Administration sees this technology as a model for using real-time traveler information to improve the efficiency of our regional highways and arterial roads."
TravelTIP is sponsored by OCTA, in partnership with the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), the Federal Highway Administration, and the County of Orange. Partnering cities include Anaheim, Brea, Buena Park, Costa Mesa, Fountain Valley, Fullerton, Garden Grove, Huntington Beach, Irvine, Mission Viejo, Newport Beach, Orange, Santa Ana, Tustin, and Westminster. Other Orange County cities are also in the process of being added.
