News Release

Ontario Expands Online Tool to Keep Drivers Safe During Winter

November 19, 2020

Ontario’s 511 App adds Track My Plow and Other Winter Safety Features

TORONTO ― The Ontario government is expanding the 511 app to include new winter driving features that will provide drivers and the trucking industry with additional information to support safer route planning when travelling on provincial highways.

“Driving during the winter months can be a challenge in every part of the province, and our government remains committed to keeping Ontario’s roads and highways safe,” said Caroline Mulroney, Minister of Transportation. “That’s why we are enhancing the Ontario 511 app with winter safety features that will provide drivers with even more information so they navigate the best route.”

The Ontario 511 app is now available to all drivers and includes these additional features:

• Track My Plow which will allow drivers to track the location of snowplows and salt trucks on provincial highways in Ontario
• Information on winter road conditions so drivers can see which roads are bare or covered with snow
• Weather warnings from Environment Canada to alert drivers of upcoming storms
• Up-to-date information on rest areas across the province

The app also provides images from over 600 cameras and includes up-to-date highway information on construction, collisions and road closures. The Ontario 511 app is available for free on the App Store and Google Play.

The winter driving features on the Ontario 511 app build on the province’s actions to improve winter maintenance this year, including an additional 24 Road Weather Information Stations that provide forecasts to help winter maintenance crews prepare for a storm, and improving and expanding rest area infrastructure in Northern Ontario.

“Through enhancements to the Ontario 511 app, we’re empowering Ontario drivers with up-to-date, accessible and intuitive information at their fingertips to help them stay safe on the roads through the winter months,” said Peter Bethlenfalvy, President of the Treasury Board and Minister Responsible for Digital and Data Transformation. “As one of the initiatives outlined in the Ontario Onwards Action Plan, this is another way we’re making vital programs and services more convenient, more reliable and more accessible.”

QUICK FACTS

• The Ontario 511 app was released earlier this year to support truck drivers to plan their routes and travel safely and efficiently across the province. Access has now been expanded to road users across the province.
• Ontario has among the highest winter maintenance standards in North America. Learn more about how Ontario clears highways in winter.
• The Ontario 511 app is also part of Ontario Onwards: Ontario’s COVID-19 Action Plan for a People-Focused Government, and is one of the more than 30 projects that will change the way people and businesses interact with government.

CONTACTS

Natasha Tremblay
Minister’s Office
437 778-3503
Natasha.Tremblay@ontario.ca

Lee Alderson
Communications Branch
416 327-1158
MTO.media@ontario.ca

Ministry of Transportation
http://www.ontario.ca/mto