Exploring Benefits and Challenges of 511 Applications in Enhancing Mobility and Safety by Evaluating User Reviews

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2-2026

Publication Title

Transportation Research Record

Abstract

The introduction of 511 systems in the early twenty-first century has significantly enhanced mobility and safety for motorists. Most states across the United States have deployed this mobile application, offering various features for safety and mobility, including real-time updates and trip planning. They are accessible via various platforms, including Google Play Store and the App Store. In these platforms, users can rate and review these 511 applications, providing valuable feedback for improvement. This study analyzes users' review comments from the Google Play Store and App Store to understand the user perception based on star rating categories to obtain benefits and the challenges faced while interacting with these 511 applications. The study utilizes exploratory analysis and text network analysis to leverage the information from the user reviews. The findings show that the benefits and challenges identified vary from one geographic region to another. However, general user perception indicates that the 511 application disseminates crucial road conditions and road safety during the winter season. However, users report problems such as continuous application failure and advertisement clutter hindering the process of disseminating road safety information. This study offers crucial insights to state departments of transportation, suggesting enhancements to 511 systems to improve user experience and traffic safety.

Comments

This research was partially funded by the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) through project number 136673.

DOI

10.1177/03611981251366256

Volume

2680

Issue

2

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