ATLANTA — The Georgia Department of Transportation will pause this weekend to honor the people who help guide you through metro Atlanta’s challenging traffic.
Saturday, May 11, is 511 Day in Georgia. It’s a chance to recognize the state’s 511 traffic operators who watch more than 3,000 highway cameras while taking calls from travelers.
They’ve seen it all.
“People running nude on the interstate, cows running on the interstate, fights breaking out on the interstate,” Georgia 511 Operator Kristy Brown said. “There have been quite a few things I’ve seen.”
Brown was monitoring traffic even before the 511 program began 17 years ago. She and Nicollette Canty were on duty at the state’s Traffic Management Center the day the evening rush hour traffic collapsed.
“I was here when the fire started and long after,” said Canty of the 2017 I-85 collapse.
Georgia’s 511 traffic operators monitor cameras, investigate reports of trouble, and update the state’s 511 website and app.
“We get calls from elderly people who are lost on the roadway,” Brown said. “It helps me knowing I was able to help them, and once they get back to the interstate, they cried a little bit, but then they calm down.”
Some call in a panic. Many dial 511 before they leave the house.
“Think about how much your commute can change just from a fender bender, so you can call ahead of time to see what your route looks like,” said GDOT’s Natalie Dale.
According to GDOT, 511 traffic operators have answered 15 million calls since 2007, and more than 450,000 have downloaded the 511 app.