TxDOT Says Website Invaluable During Hurricane Harvey
"We've always been proud of DriveTexas.org as a resource for guiding drivers across Texas, but we had never relied on it more than we did in the days following Hurricane Harvey," TxDOT Executive Director James Bass said recently. "During the storm, DriveTexas.org was visited by a record number of people trying to safely navigate to their destinations."
The Texas Department of Transportation reported that its DriveTexas.org website was visited more than 5 million times during the height of Hurricane Harvey as drivers searched to check road conditions, find alternate routes, and see closures on state roadways. There were more than 500 state roadway closures during the height of the hurricane.
"We've always been proud of DriveTexas.org as a resource for guiding drivers across Texas, but we had never relied on it more than we did in the days following Hurricane Harvey," TxDOT Executive Director James Bass said recently. "During the storm, DriveTexas.org was visited by a record number of people trying to safely navigate to their destinations. The real-time updates, which are made by TxDOT team members in the field, kept pace with fast-moving conditions and were invaluable to thousands of travelers and emergency responders who otherwise may not have known where to turn for accurate information."
The website also offers a toll-free phone number (800-452-9292) that provides the same information 24/7. Beyond the 5 million website visits since Harvey made landfall on Aug. 24, the toll-free TxDOT Travel Information Line received more than 163,000 calls, according to the agency.
The site "is as close to real time as possible and is a vital tool for the public during emergency situations when information about road closures is being shared," it says. "Along with finding road closures, the site offers information about construction zones, flooding, damage, and accidents."