511 Mobile - FAQ

GENERAL

What is 511 Mobile?
What is the geographic coverage area for 511 Mobile?
Is 511 Mobile free of cost?
Which mobile phones are supported on the 511 Mobile site?
Does 511 Mobile work better on a particular phone than another?

511 MOBILE VS. STANDARD SITE

What happened to the standard site? Why did you change the format?
I can't find some standard website features on the mobile version. Will you be adding these features to the mobile site?
Can I still access MY 511 through the mobile version of the site?

511 MOBILE FEATURES - REAL-TIME TRANSIT DEPARTURES, TRANSIT TRIP PLANNER, 511 TRAFFIC MAP, AND POPULAR DRIVING TIMES

Is the trip planner on the mobile site as accurate as on the standard site?
When I plan a transit trip, is a map with my trip available on the mobile site?
Which transit agencies are included in the 511 Departure Times?
What other ways besides this mobile website can I get real-time departure times?
What is a Stop ID number?
How do I learn my Stop ID?
Sometimes I receive a "no data available" message after I make a Departure Times request. What does this mean?
Can I save my most frequent trips and receive alerts when my next bus or train is coming?
Can I send SMS (text message) for my Stop ID to receive departure times?
How often is the traffic map updated?
How can I get up-to-date driving times?

TROUBLESHOOTING

Sometimes the site keeps disconnecting and I'm unable to plan a trip. Is this the site's problem or my mobile browser's problem?
How do I get help on the 511 Mobile site?
I cannot use the zoom feature on my phone with the 511 Mobile website. Why?
On my BlackBerry device when I tried the 511 Mobile site I was taken to the standard site. How can I get to the 511 Mobile site?

GENERAL

What is 511 Mobile?
511 Mobile is a new website customized for mobile devices. This service currently provides 511 customers with on-the-go access to the most popular 511 web features: the Transit Trip Planner, Traffic Map, and Popular 511 Driving Times. In the future, other features, such as real-time transit Departure Times and Transit Schedules will be added.

What is the geographic coverage area for 511 Mobile?
For any included feature, 511 Mobile covers the nine counties of the San Francisco Bay Area: Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano, and Sonoma.

Is 511 Mobile free of cost?
511 does not charge for using 511 Mobile services though you may need a phone plan that includes web browsing.

Which mobile phones are supported on the 511 Mobile site?
511 Mobile is designed to work on most of the mobile phone browsers including the iPhone, BlackBerry devices, and phones powered by the Android operating system. If you are having problems accessing the 511 Mobile website from your mobile device, please email us by using the suggestions link on 511.org. Please let us know your device make and model, mobile browser info (if you know it), and your provider name as well as specifics about your experience.

Does 511 Mobile work better on a particular phone than another?
The site works on most of the devices that support internet browsing, e.g., iPhone, BlackBerry, and Android devices. Internet-ready phones beside smartphones (iPhone, Blackberry, and Android) using different operating systems have not been fully tested.

511 MOBILE VS. STANDARD SITE

What happened to the standard site? Why did you change the format?
The browser capability on various mobile devices currently in use guided the design of the new 511 Mobile website—as compared to the standard 511 website. Most mobile browsers, except for a very few smartphones, are not capable of easily displaying standard (HTML) websites. This creates a challenge for many of our users who would like to access our web services on their mobile devices. In response to customer interest, we created the 511 Mobile website, which hosts the most popular 511 features:  a streamlined version of the 511 Transit Trip Planner as well as the Traffic Map, and Popular 511 Driving Times.

I can't find some standard website features on the mobile version. Will you be adding these features to the mobile site?
As the first set, we are offering the three most popular web features -  Transit Trip Planner, Traffic Map, and Popular 511 Driving Times. We plan to include two more features soon: transit schedules and real-time transit predictions (a.k.a., 511 Departure Times). In the future, we will consider further expansion of the 511 Mobile site based on user demand and industry trends. Meanwhile, if you are currently using a certain feature from any of our standard websites that is not included in the mobile version, you can continue to access that feature using the appropriate standard site link on the mobile site.

Can I still access MY 511 through the mobile version of the site?
Currently, MY 511 services are not available on 511 Mobile. You can use the MY 511 standard site link on 511 Mobile to access MY 511 services. The look and feel of the standard site will depend on your mobile device's capability for displaying HTML websites.

511 MOBILE FEATURES - REAL-TIME TRANSIT DEPARTURES, TRANSIT TRIP PLANNER, 511 TRAFFIC MAP, AND POPULAR DRIVING TIMES

Is the trip planner on the mobile site as accurate as on the standard site?
The trip planner on the mobile site has been designed to emulate exactly the same functionality and results of the trip planner on the standard site. Itineraries you create will be accurate and identical on both versions.

When I plan a transit trip, is a map with my trip available on the mobile site?
No. For the streamlined mobile version of the transit trip planner, we focused on providing textual information, with a goal of allowing quick information delivery for all supported devices.

Which transit agencies are included in the 511 Departure Times?
Departure times are currently available for all San Francisco Muni, BART, AC Transit, and WestCAT routes. Samtrans will be added shortly. We expect to integrate Caltrain and VTA in 2011, followed by Golden Gate Transit and Ferry. We are exploring options with additional agencies as well.

What other ways besides this mobile website can I get real-time departure times?
In addition to this mobile website, the following are other options:

• On the phone: call 5-1-1 and say ‘Departure Times’
• Via SMS/texting: send ‘511 [Stop ID #]’ to DOTORG (368674). Go to 511.org or transit.511.org from your computer browser to learn more.
• From your regular computer browser: use the Departure Times tool on 511.org or transit.511.org, or register with MY 511 at my511.org

What is a Stop ID number?
A Stop ID is a unique number associated with a specific transit stop that 511 uses to identify the stop for which you want to receive departure time predictions. This ID automatically includes your direction of travel (i.e., the side of the platform or street the stop is on). For example, Stop ID #16996 identifies the outbound platform at Muni’s Van Ness Station. When you use this Stop ID number, 511 Departure Times will provide predictions for every transit line going in the same direction and stops at Van Ness Station. Similarly, Stop ID #15419 will provide predictions for transit lines in the opposite direction stopping at Van Ness Station.  Also, Stop IDs are transit agency-specific, so stops served by multiple agencies will have at least one unique Stop ID per agency.

How do I learn my Stop ID?
You can get your Stop ID on this mobile website using the Stop ID Lookup tool. Stop ID Lookup tool is also available on our regular websites at 511.org and transit.51.org. To learn your stop ID on the phone, call 511 and say “Departure Times.” When 511 prompts you to enter your stop ID, say, “I don’t know” to use the backup help system to identify your stop. After hearing the predicted departure times for your stop, 511 will play your stop’s ID number.

Sometimes I receive a "no data available" message after I make a Departure Times request.  What does this mean?

Real-time departure predictions may be periodically unavailable for various reasons.  The most common reasons include:

• 511 Departure Times only provides predictions for vehicles that will depart within the next 90 minutes. If your requested route is not predicted to depart within 90 minutes of your request, 511 responds with the "no data available" message.  For example, if the last bus of the day has already left, you would receive a "no data available" message.
• If the device that transmits a transit vehicle's location is not functioning properly on the vehicle for which you requested predictions, departure times for that vehicle are not generated.  When the 511 system cannot locate any generated predictions, it plays the "no data available" message.  This could be why, in rare instances, you do not receive a prediction for a scheduled transit vehicle that shows up at your stop.

Can I save my most frequent trips and receive alerts when my next bus or train is departing?
Yes. Departure Times is available on MY 511 (not configured for mobile browsers), which is a free, personalized service for the web and phone. Go to my511.org to build a web page to always display the predictions of your favorite transit trips. Registration also allows you to bypass phone menu options and obtain the trip information you need in an instant.  With the MY 511 service, you can also receive email and/or text message alerts.  Go to my511.org from your regular computer for more information and to register.

Can I send SMS (text message) for my Stop ID to receive departure times?
Yes. To request departure time predictions through SMS, just text ‘511 [Stop ID#]’ to DOTORG (368674).  Within seconds, you will receive a message with predictions for the Stop ID you entered.  For more information on Texting, visit 511.org or transit.511.org from your regular computer browser.

How often is the traffic map updated?
Traffic map information is real-time and is updated as conditions change on the roadway. To get the latest traffic map, use the 'refresh' button.

How can I get up-to-date driving times?
511 Mobile offers driving times for highway segments that receive the largest number of requests under the Popular 511 Driving Times feature. These driving times change as conditions on those highway segments change or the segments most requested change. To get the latest information for the Popular 511 Driving Times, use the 'Refresh' function.

TROUBLESHOOTING

Sometimes the site keeps disconnecting and I'm unable to plan a trip. Is this the site's problem or my mobile browser's problem?
Like any other mobile website, 511 Mobile depends on the connectivity of your phone with your provider's network. Additionally, 511 Mobile depends on Internet connectivity. If either of these two communication links is disrupted, access to 511 Mobile may be affected.

How do I get help on the 511 Mobile site?
This document is intended to address most of the known questions. If you need further help, please submit your request using the 'Feedback' link provided on the 511 Mobile site.

I cannot use the zoom feature on my phone with the 511 Mobile website. Why?
The zoom feature on mobile devices work on standard HTML websites but not on mobile sites developed following the .mobi and W3C guidelines for mobile web development. Like other mobile websites, 511 Mobile is developed to ensure consistency across mobile browsers that support those guidelines. You can always go to our standard (HTML) sites following the "Standard Site" links provided in the 511 Mobile page footer to take advantage of the zoom feature on your phone.

On my BlackBerry device when I tried the 511 Mobile site I was taken to the standard site. How can I get to the 511 Mobile site?
The default browser setting on BlackBerry devices should be 'BlackBerry.' Sometimes this is not the case. If you are not able to see the 511 Mobile page on your BlackBerry device, your browser setting may need to be modified. Please follow the instruction below to make changes to your browser setting, if necessary.

• Click on browser, push options button (to the left of roller)
• When prompted, please click on "options".
• On the next screen, click on browser configuration.
• On the browser configuration screen, please make sure the Browser Configuration (on some BlackBerry devices it is called the 'Emulation Mode') is set to 'BlackBerry.'
• On the same screen, enable 'Support JavaScript' and 'Support Style Sheets' if they are disabled.
• Push the back button (to the right of roller) to return to the "Options" screen. If prompted, click on 'save.'
• At the 'Options' screen click on the 'Cache Operations.' In the next screen, clear all caches and return to the browser screen. At this point, you should be able to see the 511 Mobile site.