For all of those interested in traffic updates, the State of New York has a new statewide web mobile app.

New statewide Web site, mobile app will provide real-time traffic updates

Published: Tuesday, July 10, 2012, 2:35 PM

By Stephanie Slepian/Staten Island Advance Staten Island Advance

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- There's a new way to avoid traffic delays and construction projects on the state's roadways and bridges -- a Web site and mobile app that offer real-time updates and alerts, personalized maps, alternative routes, camera views and weather forecasts.

It can all be found at www.511NY.org, part of Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo's plan to keep New Yorkers informed as statewide infrastructure projects get under way.

Alerts will also be posted on Twitter and Facebook, and a 30-second public service announcement will air on most television stations throughout the state this week.

The upgraded Web site and mobile app go hand-in-hand with Cuomo's NY Works Program, designed to boost the state's economy by putting New Yorkers back to work rebuilding the state's infrastructure.

"With summer just beginning, it is important that drivers stay updated on these projects so they know of any traffic tie ups or backups before they get on the road," Cuomo said today.

"Upgrades to our 511 system and the new PSA will make it even easier for New Yorkers and our visitors to travel smarter and more efficiently, whether they are heading to work or on vacation. I encourage travelers to make use of this helpful service."

A similar system has been in place in the five boroughs since the fall. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority worked with the state Department of Transportation to create a 511 hotline.

It condenses 117 separate public phone numbers into one, allowing callers to use a voice interactive system to obtain information about roads, bridges, traffic congestion, ferries and public transportation run by other agencies.