511 NY provides information on:

511 NY covers the transportation system and services throughout New York State. Major state highways are covered statewide and major county and local highways are included in the New York City area. Public transportation services throughout the state are featured. Major events occurring on local roads will be described in the 511 system if they have been reported to us.

The phone system has nine different menus tailored to the regions shown in the following map,reflecting differences in the availability of services and information needs around the state.

The information in the 511 NY system comes from many transportation and police agencies in New York and surrounding states. Traffic management centers monitor and provide traffic condition information to the 511 NY system. Staffs at these centers receive highway condition information from police and transportation officials, motorist assistance patrol drivers, 911 calls, construction crews, traffic cameras and roadway sensors. Transit information comes from public transportation agencies. Weather conditions, forecast information and alerts are provided by the National Weather Service.

• Speed data and camera images are updated continuously. Camera images are updated as quickly as the camera system allows – every 30 seconds in some cases and every 60 seconds or more in other cases.
• Information on incidents is updated by agency staff as conditions are reported from the scene.
• Information on road construction and maintenance is updated as new work is started or completed, or as travel conditions change.
• Winter roadway conditions are updated at least every four hours during winter months and more frequently during storms.
• Other information, such as construction projects or transit schedule changes, is updated as soon as this information becomes available.
• Agency contact information changes infrequently.

511 NY is another information source for travelers that complements radio and TV broadcasts. With 511 NY you can expect to receive more detailed, current and route-specific traffic information than is provided in a short, general traffic news slot, and you can get  the information whenever you need it. Beyond this, the 511 NY system offers a broad range of information on transit service, transit trip planning, carpooling and many other services not covered by the media.

For the metropolitan New York City area, 511 NY also will provide information about northern New Jersey and southwestern Connecticut. Statewide 511 services are provided in New Jersey and Vermont; Quebec has a 511 service throughout its province. 511 NY users will be able to transfer directly to these services from 511 NY. Other statesmay be contacted by phone or Web site using leads from the 511 Deployment Coalition .

Here are the three-digit service numbers adopted by the telephone industry and the Federal Communications Commission:

Incidents disrupt the normal flow of traffic or transit services, including accidents, vehicle breakdowns and road debris. In extreme cases, incidents may require a roadway to be closed.

Delays also can occur because of special events, construction advisories, bad weather conditions or high traffic volume.

Ask the 511 NY phone system about conditions on the alternate route you are considering, or view the roadways for closures, incidents, construction and current traffic speeds.

Cameras, signs and sensors are installed along roads with the most traffic; primarily on major routes like interstates and state-maintained highways. Traffic patterns are reviewed periodically to determine where additional equipment should be installed.

These signs are blank when conditions are normal and are used only when there is a problem, such as an accident, disabled vehicle, construction, road closure or another condition.

The alerts are warnings or information about major incidents affecting the transportation system in the state. To get alerts for a specific region, click on My Customized Alerts to the right of the scrolling banner and choose a region from the drop-down list

The scrolling alerts are Closures or Incidents in the events list that have been rated extreme or severe and do not appear as a separate category. Our TransAlert notification service draws on the same pool of incidents and closures. While the scrolling alerts only show the most significant events, the TransAlert service lets you pick the event severity level, including events that are moderately disruptive.

Select My Customized Alerts to the right of the scrolling banner to limit the alerts reported to just one of the regions displayed in the drop-down list.

Unless you choose one region in My Customized Alerts all alerts in the state that are in effect will be shown.

Yes! Sign up as a TransAlert subscriber to get information about major incidents affecting transportation in regions or routes you specify. You will receive short e-mail cell or cell phone text messages in near real time with information about an incident's location, nature, severity and other important information. Alerts will be updated during the course of an incident, as necessary. 

TransAlerts are issued only for the most serious and unexpected events that have a high degree of impact on travel.  This can include incidents on highway, rail or aviation systems.  For further information, visit our TransAlert FAQs. To subscribe, visit NY-ALERT Subscribe.

This is an early-warning system to help find abducted children. AMBER stands for America's Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response. This is a cooperative program 
among law enforcement, broadcasters, transportation agencies and others to immediately involve the public, especially motorists, in the search for an abducted child.

If you witness a child abduction, contact your local law enforcement agency or 911 to report it quickly. Note important information, such as the physical characteristics of the child and suspect; the make and model of any vehicles involved (including license plate numbers if possible); and the precise location of the abduction.

Effective November 1, 2009, the use of portable electronic devices by drivers of motor vehicles is prohibited. If you use a portable electronic device (such as a mobile telephone, smart phone, Blackberry or iPhone) to send or receive text messages or e-mails, you may receive a traffic ticket and pay a fine of $150. Please remember to drive responsibly. If you need to use your device to access 511NY en route, pull off to a safe area such as a rest area, fueling station or other stopping point, or have a passenger access the information for you. Remember, it is illegal to park your vehicle on the shoulder of an interstate highway unless there is an emergency.

Please visit the New York State Governor's Traffic Safety Committee page for more information.

The 511NY Mobile Web offers up to the minute real-time information on traffic, transit and travel conditions. The mobile web can be accessed from a browser on your Blackberry, iPhone, Google Android, or other smart phone device.

The mobile web provides traffic & transit information as well as a trip planner. Incident, construction, special event and speed information is also viewable. Users can access cameras, weather forecasts & alerts, and get travel times for bridges and tunnels.

Any one of the three URLS takes you to the 511NY Mobile Website.

• http://m.511ny.org
• http://www.511ny.mobi
• http://www.511ny.org/511NYMobile

The service is a free. However, the cost to access this information is dependent on the Internet/ data plan you have with your mobile service provider -- typically a monthly access fee.

511NY currently provides the application on the Blackberry, iPhone, and Android devices. Please remember, NYS Law prohibits using mobile devices while operating a motor vehicle. When using electronic devices while traveling, remember to drive responsibly and know before you go! Have a passenger check the information for you or pull off to a safe place, like a rest area, before using those devices.

The 511NY Mobile Application is supported on the following mobile devices:

• BlackBerry (Operating System versions BlackBerry (OS v 5.0 and 6.0)) Users should have 1000kb free space, and BlackBerry Maps installed.
• iPhone or iPod Touch (versions v4.x and 5.0)
• Android (2.x, 2.3, 3.0 and 3.1)

• The BlackBerry application is available through BlackBerry App World (Users new to the BlackBerry app store may need to download BlackBerry App World).
• The Android application is available through Google Play.
• The iPhone and iPod Touch application is available through iTunes.

No, the 511NY app is a free service of the New York State Department of Transportation.

My511NY is a free, personalized service on the phone, mobile apps, and web that allows you to customize 511NY, your way. With MY511NY, you build your own 511NY.org home page or bypass phone menu options to go directly to your information. During registration, you define and save up to six traffic trips, with names like "Home to Work" or "Work to Gym", six transit trips, and identify up to six CCTV traffic cameras you check most often. You can also sign up for up to six driving time trips for Long Island. Then you can access incident information for those trips on the 511NY phone service 511NY.org and the 511NY Mobile Apps. Click here for more My511NY FAQs.

The 511 phone service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

511 NY does not charge for the call. Calling 511 NY from a landline phone will cost the same as making a local call. If you use a cell phone, airtime and roaming charges may apply.

511 NY is available all across New York State. Telephone service providers will need to establish the ability to route 511 NY calls to the system. Contact your telephone company if you are unable to reach the 511 NY service.

The New York 511 phone system will either identify your telephone prefix when you use a landline phone or the communications tower that your wireless phone is connected to when you call. Knowing your calling location allows the 511 NY system to provide information specific to that area of the state.

Information in the 511 NY phone system and Web site is presented in English.

No, the New York 511 service will keep you on the line until your call is successfully transferred to a partner agency when you select this option.

This depends on whether your provider offers an address translation service (primarily used to identify your location for 911 or E911). If so, when you call 511 NY your call will be routed to the 511 NY system if your registered address is in New York State. The following VoIP carriers provide this address translation service: AT&T Wireless, AT&T Wireline, Frontier Communications, OneCommunications, Sprint (Including Nextel), T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless, Verizon Wireline.

Use of a hand-held mobile telephone while driving is prohibited by New York State Law. If you use a hand-held mobile telephone while you drive, except to call 911 or to contact medical, fire or police personnel about an emergency, you may receive a traffic ticket and pay a maximum fine of $100 and mandatory surcharges of $50.

Use of a hands-free microphone is all right but put safety first. Call 511 NY before you leave. If you do need to call 511 NY en route, call from a rest area, fueling station or other stopping point, or have a passenger make the call for you. Remember, it is illegal to park your vehicle on the shoulder of an interstate highway unless there is an emergency.

Please visit the New York State Governor's Traffic Safety Committee page for more information.

Yes. Call 888-GO511NY (888-465-1169).

With 511 NY, your call will always be answered. If there is an unusually high volume of calls when you called, your call will be put in a queue to interact with the system. We are monitoring call volumes and will add capacity if needed.

There are several reasons why you might not be able to access the 511 NY system:

1. Your telephone company doesn’t provide access to 511 NY.   Most landline and cellular service carriers in New York State allow access to the 511 system. If your carrier is not listed, ask it to support 511 NY. If your carrier does not support 511 NY, you can reach 511 NY via our toll-free number: 888-GO511NY (888-465-1169).
2. Cell phone reception is poor.
   Try calling back from another location.
3. Your phone system at work does not support dialing 511 NY.
   Many businesses have their own telephone systems that may need to be reprogrammed to allow direct access to the 511 NY system. Contact your office manager or telephone system administrator to have them enable access to 511 NY.
4. Your cell phone is using a cell tower in a neighboring state.
   When you call from an area near a bordering state, your cell phone may use a cell tower in that state, not in New York, preventing you from accessing 511 NY. This has occurred in some places on the north shore of Long Island (calls may use cell towers in Connecticut). If this happens,  dial our toll-free number, 888-GO511NY (888-465-1169).
5. You are calling from another state. Dialing 511 will connect you with the 511 system in the state from which you are calling, if available. Call the 511NY toll-free number 888-GO511NY (888-465-1169).
6. You are calling from a pay phone that has not been programmed for 511.
   Call the 511NY toll-free number 888-GO511NY (888-465-1169).

The New York 511 service can be reached through these toll-free numbers:

511 NY will transfer your call to travel information services in New Jersey, Quebec or Vermont depending on the 511 NY calling region menu you are using (the 511 NY region must be adjacent to the state or province). If transfers are enabled, say "Other 511 Systems" at the Main Menu.

511 NY uses a state-of-the-art voice-recognition system to guide you through the menu options. The system might have a difficulty responding to your request if:  

• you said something it is not programmed to recognize at that particular menu;
• it cannot understand your voice; or
• there is background noise, such as a radio or people talking near you, that prevents the system from understanding you.

Reduce background noise and speak as clearly as possible in a normal tone of voice. If you are using a cell phone and you have a low signal, try calling back when you get a better one. If you still have problems, use numeric touch-tone commands.

Hearing-impaired callers can dial 711 or visit http://www.i711.com/ for assistance on-line to access 511 NY information. 711 is the national three-digit number for access to Telecommunication Relay Services (TRS). Callers dial 711 and ask the operator to connect them to the 511 service. Once connected, the 711 operator acts as a go-between, relaying callers' request for travel information to the 511 system and then providing system responses back to the callers.

Speech-impaired callers can use the touch-tone system to access information from the 511 system. Press "0" at each new menu to hear the touch-tone options, then press the number that matches your choice. Once you learn the touch-tones, there is no need to press zero to hear the list of choices; just enter your selection.

The 511 NY Web site has been designed to meet the accessibility policies of the NYS Office for Technology. Most of the material on the Web site will be in HTML or ASCII (plain text) formats. However, some of the files may require users to have installed the following specific software or plug-ins to interpret the page content: Adobe Acrobat Portable Document Format (PDF), Adobe Flash and Microsoft Office.

The 511 NY phone service is an automated, interactive voice system driven by the user's voice or phone keys. Voice recordings will give the latest computerized information. There are options to transfer to a specific transportation agency for additional information not offered directly through the 511 NY phone system.

Say, "Help" or "What are my choices?" at any time to hear your options for the current menu. To return to a previous menu, say, "Go back." To start over, say "Main Menu."

Interrupt the System (barge-in).
Once you know what questions will be asked, you can answer them as soon as the system starts asking them. You do not need to wait until the end of a question before answering.

Use Voice Command Shortcuts or Touch Tone Keys
Shortcuts are voice commands that bypass a menu and take you directly to your choice.

Main Menu Choices
Just press "0" at each menu to hear menu choices and touch tone codes. The  nine 511NY calling regions have some differences in their phone system menus.

If you receive a call that seems to be from New York State’s travel information service because the telephone number begins with "511" on your caller ID, be assured that it is not from 511NY. 511 is not a valid area code in the US or Canada, and 511NY does not make out-going calls to the public.

If you are receiving calls like this, you should contact your telephone service provider and request they block "calls from 511" to you. Be prepared to give your provider the complete telephone number you want blocked.

If you have tried to work through your telephone service provider to eliminate such calls and were unsuccessful, please call 511 and use the touchtone keys to press 77 to leave a comment (and remember to hit # when you are finished), or visit the 511NY.org website, click "contact us" to reach us. Please provide your contact information and a message about the problem you are having, and a staff member will reach out to you to help resolve the problem.

NYSDOT staff members will return calls only in response to comments left via the 511NY telephone or web service, and a ten digit phone number beginning with a valid area code will appear on your caller ID.

Here are the public transportation services covered by 511 NY:

• Airport Access Services
• Amtrak
• Commuter Rail Services
• Connecting Services
• Ferries
• Intercity Bus Services
• Local Bus Services
• Paratransit Services
• Subway/ PATH

With 511 NY you can find out about services within your area of interest. The phone system will transfer your call to an operator if you would like.

Our transit trip planner is groundbreaking in its ability to plan a trip involving several different types of transportation services and multiple operators. The trip planner also allows you to specify:

• Date (use the pop-up calendar)
• Arrival or departure time
• Fewest transfers
• Fastest itinerary
• Preferred service provider (pick from the list)
• Special needs (wheelchair or bicycle)
• Park-and-ride lot locations

Absolutely. The Transit Trip Planner uses Google Auto-Complete to help you identify the correct address. You can also click on the map to indicate the approximate origin and destination of your trip. Zoom in, as needed, to see more street detail.

After you have specified where your trip is starting and ending, click on Plan Your Trip. The results will pop up in a new window, showing

• Starting point
• Ending point
• Details on where to board the service
• Date and start time and trip duration
• Detailed instructions and duration of each leg of your trip (if applicable)
• Information on any current incidents affecting service

Click on Print Itinerary at the bottom to get a printer-friendly version of the instructions.

Yes. When viewing your itinerary click on the walking map icon on the right side of the screen. Another window will open a map window showing the starting point of your trip and where you will pick up the service as well as proving you with detailed directions. Print the map and directions to carry with you.

If you have toggled the Consider Park-N-Rides in Itinerary option at the bottom of the origin block, after you click on Plan Your Trip a list of the nearest park and ride lots will be displayed. If you click on a button to the left of a lot name, you will see the lot name, location and web site link on the map, and a table below with detailed information on the lot. Lot web pages offer even more information. Click on Driving Directions to see how to get to the lot from your starting point.

After you have considered your options, select a lot for your itinerary by clicking on the Use as Origin box. Your detailed itinerary will display next.

511 NY provides you with access to more than 50 public transportation operators around the state. To select an operator from the phone system, say "Public Transportation" at the Main Menu, then narrow your choices from there. On the Web, select (Travel Links) from the home page, then (Public Transportation). An interactive map then will let you choose a specific area and type of service for a customized list of operators.

More than 110 paratransit agencies are included. To select an operator from the phone system, say "Paratransit" at the Main Menu, then narrow your choices from there. On the 511NY Web site, select (Travel Links)from the home page, then (Public Transportation) and (Paratransit). An interactive map then will let you choose a specific area (region or county) for a tailored list of operating agencies.

Phone System
From the Public Transportation menu (accessed by saying, "Public Transportation" from the Main Menu or the Public Transportation menu) and say "Paratransit". The system will respond with a list of service providers. If you would like, your call can be transferred to one of these operators for more information. 

Web Site
Select Travel Links > Public Transportation > Paratransit. You will be linked to our interactive application that will allow you to get a list of service providers and their contact information for the area you select.

After you tell the 511 NY phone system which agency you want, it will confirm your request by repeating the agency's name. If you select an agency and the system reads back a different name, right away say "Stop," "Go Back" or Press 1 to stop the transfer and choose again. If you did not catch this in time, call back and try again.

If you need information to plan a trip, then visit our groundbreaking, multiagency transit Trip Planner Web site. The trip planner will help you map out your itinerary, door to door. Otherwise, call back during normal workday hours.

511NY Rideshare is New York’s home for free ridematching programs and traveler services in the Greater NYC Metro Region, providing a wealth of information for anyone who wants more enhanced commute and travel options. We work with commuters, employers and travelers to make ridesharing an easy, affordable and appealing alternative. To accomplish this, 511NY Rideshare offers a suite of programs and services such as ridematching for carpools and vanpools, a Guaranteed Ride Program, and informational resources for transit services, bicycling, walking, teleworking and other options. Go to www.511NYRideshare.org or call 511 and say “Rideshare” between 8:30 a.m. – 6 p.m. EST to be connected to a customer service representative. Out-of-state travelers can call 888-GO511NY (888-465-1169), select a region (Hudson Valley/Catskills, Long Island or New York City Metro) and then say “Rideshare.”

No, all of 511NY Rideshare’s services are free.

If you have subscribed to these services, you are automatically eligible to join 511NY Rideshare’s ridematching system. If you have an e-mail address registered with CommuterLink or NuRide, you should have received an activation e-mail from us.

If you do not have an e-mail address registered with CommuterLink or NuRide, please call 511 and say “Rideshare” between 6 a.m. – 7 p.m., Monday through Friday to be connected to one of our customer service representatives. Out-of-state travelers can call 888-GO511NY (888-465-1169), select a region (Hudson Valley/Catskills, Long Island or New York City Metro) and then say “Rideshare” and we will activate your account.

Your privacy preferences from CommuterLink or NuRide have been maintained.

NuRide members may redeem their rewards through October 31, 2012.  Please note, on November 1, 2012, NuRide accounts for users registered with origins and destinations in the Downstate New York region, will be disabled.   User names, email address, and all other personally identifiable information will be deleted from the NuRide database to protect privacy.

511NY Rideshare can help employers set up commuter benefit programs to provide smarter, more efficient choices for greater employee mobility. Visit the Employer section for more information on the benefits and grant opportunities from setting up these programs.

The ridematching system is a free online tool that commuters, travelers and employers can use to find other travelers to share a ride. The ridematching system matches travelers based on similar trips as defined by users’ preferences. The ridematching system can find you a carpool, vanpool or a bike buddy along a specified route or in an area of your origin or destination. It also will map your route and show you where Park & Ride locations and other landmarks are along the way.

The system uses the travel preferences entered and will generate a profile for you in the database. It will then search the database for other travelers with similar start and destination locations and travel times to you in order to create your match list. You will only match with other riders who have similar preferences, such as driver/passenger roles, to the ones you entered.

When other travelers are searching for matches and your travel preferences matches theirs, you will be included in their ridematch list.

After logging into the system, go to Find Ridematches and run either a radius-based match or a route-based match. Select the preferences when prompted and click Find Matches.

Radius-based matching selects matches based on the distance around your starting and destination addresses.

Route-based matching allows you to match with travelers who intersect your route at a certain point but still have a destination close to yours. You can select to match with travelers at the beginning portion of your trip. The system will match you with travelers that intersect your route around your starting location. Or you can select to match with travelers that cross your route in the middle portion of your trip. This way you are able to rideshare with other travelers that are going to the same location but may not live near you.

We recommend you contact the travelers listed and tell them you matched through 511NY Rideshare. If your matches shared their e-mail address or phone number, you may contact them yourself. If your matches did not share their contact information, you may contact your matches through the ridematching system’s automated e-mail system.

If you are having difficulty setting up a carpool after contacting the people on your match list, contact us to be connected to one of our customer service representatives and we can help. People are adding their names to the system daily - your perfect match could be just a click away.

The Match List displays all the same matches shown on the map feature. It provides the contact information, if the match has opted to share it, but also shows the match’s start and destination city, state, and zip code; work schedule; carpool and vanpool preferences; and any other additional preferences.

If a match has opted to share his e-mail address, you can click on the e-mail address to send that match an e-mail through your default e-mail server.

If we do not currently have a match for potential carpool, vanpool, bike buddy or transit assistance for you in our database, you still have options:

• Travelers often find alternatives when they expand their database search to include a wider geographic area or different routes.
• You could go to a Park & Ride lot near your commute route for your rideshare starting point.
• We are constantly adding new travelers to our system users; you should return to the site periodically and try running your matches again, since there will be a constant flow of new registrations.
• We would be happy to supply you with “Carpoolers Wanted” flyers that you can use to post at or near your origin or destination.

Yes, they can. They should log on to www.511NYRideshare.org and follow the instructions on the screen to enter their information.

Go to www.511NYRideshare.org and click on the “Register Here. It’s Free!” button or if you need assistance contact us.

What if I don’t have a car?

If you don’t have a car, you can register to be a passenger in a carpool or vanpool. Also, you can use the ridematching system to log your commutes or find bike buddies for your bike trips.

Do I have to provide my e-mail address and telephone number?

In order to register for online ridematching, you must enter your e-mail address. You do not need to enter your phone number. Our system provides the option to share or hide your e-mail address or phone number. However, sharing your e-mail and/or your phone number up-front with potential matches may expedite communication.

You can set your privacy settings for your e-mail address and your phone number during registration or under the Edit Profile page. If you are comfortable sharing your e-mail address and/or your phone number, this information will be displayed on the match list for others to contact you quickly to discuss ridematching opportunities.

What if I don’t have an e-mail address?

You can still register in the system and we can help you run ridematches. Contact us and get connected to one of our customer service representatives and we will enter you into the system and run a ridematch for you. You will then receive your ridematch results in the mail, with instructions on how to contact your ridematches.

If I do not share my e-mail address or phone number, can another user still contact me if I match with them?

If you do not share your e-mail address or phone number, a user who wishes to contact you will do so through the ridematching system. They will use the system to send an e-mail to you, but they will not see your e-mail address until you reply.

Why does 511NY Rideshare’s ridematching system require a full home address and destination address during registration?

We use high-precision algorithms to match your route and present you with the best match for your trip based on your start and destination addresses and your route.

Will my home address or destination address be shared with other users?

We only list the city, state, and zip code associated with your addresses and this partial address only appears as a pinpointed bubble on the map when a searching user finds your trip as a match. We will never share your home address or destination address with other users.

I registered online – but I did not receive an activation e-mail yet from 511NY Rideshare. What could be wrong?

Please check your spam or junk mail folders and ensure the e-mail did not get delivered there. Although 511NY Rideshare delivers almost instantaneously, sometimes there may be a delay. If you’ve waited for over 4 hours, please email RideshareInfo@511NYRideshare.org to be connected to a customer service representative.

If I have been using the ridematching system without an e-mail address but have recently acquired an e-mail address, may I use it for my account?

Yes, please contact us to be connected to one of our customer service representatives and we will set up the account with your e-mail address.

What if I would like to unsubscribe from the ridematching system?

If you decide that you do not wish to participate in the ridematching system, please log in to your account, choose Edit Profile and select the “Opt Out” button. You will be required to complete a short exit survey before you can unsubscribe.

I’m already registered but I forgot my password. How do I retrieve my password?

Go to www.511NYRideshare.org and click on “Already Registered? Log in here.” At the Rideshare Login in screen, click on “Forgot Password? Click Here!” You will be prompted to enter your registered e-mail address to receive a temporary password. You can log in with the temporary password and then change your password in the Edit Profile page.

How do I change my address in the system?

You can change any personal information, except your e-mail address, on the Edit Profile page at any time. If you would like to change your e-mail address, contact us to be connected to one of our customer service representatives.

My Employer/School information has changed since I registered. How do I change it in the system?

Go to the Edit Profile page – Edit Employer/School Information. You can change the information by typing the first few letters (3 characters minimum to start) in the Employer/School Name field to automatically retrieve a list of Employer/School names with that character string included. Select the appropriate Employer/School from the list. Please note that some Employer/School names will have multiple address; make sure you choose the one with the correct address for you.

If your Employer/School does not appear, enter the full Employer/School name and all the required address fields and save your profile changes.

The system uses the travel preferences entered and will generate a profile for you in the database. It will then search the database for other travelers with similar start and destination locations and travel times to you in order to create your match list. You will only match with other riders who have similar preferences, such as driver/passenger roles, to the ones you entered.

When other travelers are searching for matches and your travel preferences matches theirs, you will be included in their ridematch list.

After logging into the system, go to Find Ridematches and run either a radius-based match or a route-based match. Select the preferences when prompted and click Find Matches.

If you don’t have a car, you can register to be a passenger in a carpool or vanpool. Also, you can use the ridematching system to log your commutes or find bike buddies for your bike trips.

The Match List displays all the same matches shown on the map feature. It provides the contact information, if the match has opted to share it, but also shows the match’s start and destination city, state, and zip code; work schedule; carpool and vanpool preferences; and any other additional preferences.

If a match has opted to share his e-mail address, you can click on the e-mail address to send that match an e-mail through your default e-mail server.

We recommend you contact the travelers listed and tell them you matched through 511NY Rideshare. If your matches shared their e-mail address or phone number, you may contact them yourself. If your matches did not share their contact information, you may contact your matches through the ridematching system’s automated e-mail system.

If you are having difficulty setting up a carpool after contacting the people on your match list, contact us to be connected to one of our customer service representatives and we can help. People are adding their names to the system daily - your perfect match could be just a click away.

I want to e-mail several matches at once. Can I do that?

The Ridematching system has an E-mail Matches feature, where you can send an e-mail to several matches through the system. The system automatically retrieves a distribution list with all your matches and you can select which travelers you would like to contact.

The E-mail Matches feature is also how you would contact someone who did not share any contact information.

This is entirely up to you and may depend upon the number of matches you receive. We suggest initially contacting at least five travelers and go from there.

If we do not currently have a match for potential carpool, vanpool, bike buddy or transit assistance for you in our database, you still have options:

• Travelers often find alternatives when they expand their database search to include a wider geographic area or different routes.
• You could go to a Park & Ride lot near your commute route for your rideshare starting point.
• We are constantly adding new travelers to our system users; you should return to the site periodically and try running your matches again, since there will be a constant flow of new registrations.
• We would be happy to supply you with “Carpoolers Wanted” flyers that you can use to post at or near your origin or destination.

Yes, they can. They should log on to www.511NYRideshare.org and follow the instructions on the screen to enter their information.

After you run a ridematch, you will see a map showing your start and destination locations as green balloons labeled A and B, respectively. You will also see purple and blue icons with numbers – each number will have one purple and one blue corresponding icon. The purple icons indicate the start locations of your matches and the blue icons indicate the destination locations of your matches. The numbers on the icons correspond with the numbered matches to the right of the screen.

You can click on any purple or blue icon for a pop-up bubble with that match’s contact information, if they share it publically.

If a match has opted to share his e-mail address, you can click on the e-mail address to send that match an e-mail through your default e-mail server.

Radius-based matching selects matches based on the distance around your starting and destination addresses.

Route-based matching allows you to match with travelers who intersect your route at a certain point but still have a destination close to yours. You can select to match with travelers at the beginning portion of your trip. The system will match you with travelers that intersect your route around your starting location. Or you can select to match with travelers that cross your route in the middle portion of your trip. This way you are able to rideshare with other travelers that are going to the same location but may not live near you.

Yes, you may customize the route on the map to find matches who have a similar route to yours.

There are two ways you can customize your route. When you click on Run a Ridematch, Option 2 allows you to run a route-based ridematch, and then change your route. Option 3 allows you to directly customize your route.

To customize your route, you may click the blue line or one of the white circles on the current route and drag it to your desired route. You may have to move more than one white circle because the white circles are points that do not adjust automatically with the route and must be adjusted manually.

Don’t forget to click the Save My New Route button to save your changed route!

511NY Rideshare utilizes Google Maps to coordinate your route. Sometimes, Google Maps cannot locate your exact start or destination addresses and therefore uses approximate locations that are in the vicinity of your address. Check that your start or destination address is correct in the Edit Profile page.

Try dragging the white circle until the blue line reflects the route you are trying to map.

You may have forgotten to click the Save My New Route button to save your customized route.

The map feature is not locating my correct start or destination address. What should I do?

511NY Rideshare utilizes Google Maps to coordinate your route. Sometimes, Google Maps cannot locate your exact start or destination addresses and therefore uses approximate locations that are in the vicinity of your address. Check that your start or destination address is correct in the Edit Profile page.

The 511NY Rideshare Commute/Travel Calendar is an easy way to log your travels and see your ridesharing progress.

If you travel by bicycle, we can match you with another person who also travels by bicycle on a route similar to yours.

There are many benefits to biking with a buddy, including the opportunity to bike with a more experienced rider, reduced stress, improved health and the added safety of riding with another person.

The 511NY Rideshare Commute/Travel Calendar is an easy way to log your travels and see your ridesharing progress.

Call potential carpool partners and discuss logistical arrangements such as pickup time, location and driving safety. We suggest you may want to meet in a public location first to get to know each other and set ground rules, i.e. choice of radio stations and whether smoking and eating are allowed in the car, etc. This helps establish a good rapport with your fellow traveler and may allay any concerns you may have.

511NY Rideshare system is a free ridematching service of the New York State Department of Transportation. The 511NY Rideshare System can find you a carpool, vanpool or a bike buddy along a specified route or in an area of your origin or destination. It also will map your route and show you where Park & Ride locations and other landmarks are along the way.

Yes, only the contact information you agree to share in your profile will be seen by others who fit your ridematch criteria. Your information will never be shared with a third party.

As with all emergencies, if you see an accident or a road hazard, such as a downed tree, flooding or debris in the road, dial 911. Report the location and direction (note the nearest highway mile marker, if you can).

The easiest way is to simply use it. The more you use the system, the more we learn about what is important to you. If you have a specific suggestion about how we can improve, tell us using our feedback form or leave a message using the 511 NY phone system. Press "77" at any time and you will be prompted to leave a recorded message.  We also will conduct periodic phone and Web surveys to get feedback.

Yes. Any computer that has access to the Internet, a compatible browser and security settings to allow cookies will be able to use the 511 NY Web site.

Travel and transportation information is accessible using Web-enabled phones and PDAs (personal digital assistants). Other hand-held, mobile and in-vehicle electronic devices eventually will be supported. For further information, refer to the section on  accessing 511 NY via mobile devices.

511 NY has been tested with Internet Explorer 6.0 and above, and Firefox 2.0 and above. Other browsers also may work.

Cookies are a small amount of data sent to your Web browser from a web server and stored on your computer. They are only used to save your latest map view which can save you navigation time when you visit 511NY.org the next time. The cookies used by our 511 NY system do not contain any personal information about you and the information in them cannot be accessed by other Web sites.

Yes. The first time you visit, these pages will load slowly, so be patient. Once the maps  have loaded on your computer, your next visit should be quicker. Other things you can do to improve performance are:

• Select only one or a limited number of information categories. The more you pick, the longer it will take to display all icons on the map.
• Stick with the Google Map view (instead of Satellite or Hybrid).
• Do not view camera images (these take the longest time to load).

The map starts out with a view of the whole state. Use the Zoom To feature to jump to a metro area chosen from the drop down list (Zoom To is located immediately above the map). Otherwise, use Google's map navigation buttons:

To Change Location:
 
Arrows - Click the appropriate arrow buttons to move the view north, south, east or west. Click   to return to your original view.
Mouse - Depress the left mouse button and drag the map to pan to a new area.

To Change Zoom Level:
 
Zoom In - Click  to zoom in on the center of the map.
Zoom Out - Click  to zoom out.
Zoom Slider - Drag the zoom slider up or down to zoom in or out incrementally.

Select this option to have 511 NY remember your current; map view; (geographic area and zoom level) for your next visit. This will save you map navigation time if you typically look at the same area when you visit 511 NY. 'Save My Map View' remembers your map view by storing a 'cookie' on your computer for the 511 NY Web site -- a small amount of data retrieved by our Web server to show your personalized map view.

After an accident has been entered into the system, it is immediately available to the public.

All major accidents and other events reported to us that occur on the state highway system will be included in the 511 NY system; however, there may be some delay getting accurate information from transportation employees or other first responders at the incident scene. Accidents that may not cause major disruption may not be included, particularly if they occur on local roads.

To see the latest information on the 511 NY Web site, make sure your Web browser is set to refresh pages automatically so it checks for newer versions of stored Web pages. Otherwise, the version of a page stored on your hard drive from your last visit will be loaded. Also, during a session select Refresh or Reload from your browser's menu or press the appropriate toolbar icon.

To improve performance, select only the information categories you really want. The more legend items you select, the longer it will take to display icons on the map.

You also can speed up the rate of information delivery by sticking with the Google Map view (instead of Satellite or Hybrid). This is particularly true if you are going to pan the map (move location).

Road condition information is available from the 511NY Web site. Select Traffic and Transit Conditions Map from the main menu, then select Winter Road Conditions from the list of choices.

Our Winter Road Conditions system describes driving conditions on many of New York State's most-traveled roads. Conditions are displayed on a zoomable, color-coded map based on snowplow drivers’ reports. Conditions are updated at least every four hours during winter months and more frequently during storms.