Wouldn’t it be nice to have access to all of Utah’s weather, traffic information, major construction and road delays? Fortunately the Utah Department of Transportation has made this possible through a smart phone application called “UDOT Traffic”.
The traffic app has several different features which include a detailed map, alerts, road weather and mountain pass information. All of this data comes from the UDOT Traffic Operations Center (TOC) which provides 24/7 monitoring for roads around the state.
Here is a step by step tutorial of how to utilize the app’s features and information.
The map contains several different options that include: cameras, incidents/planned events, construction, overhead freeway signs otherwise know as Variable Message Signs (VMS) and traffic congestion. With your smart phone you can zoom to common locations, search a certain address or use your current location.
Areas of Utah can be selected based on common locations and searched as well.
Specific symbols can be selected or deselected to change what is visible on your map.
This map of Utah contains symbols representing cameras, construction sites, alerts, and VMS.
Here is a map with all the construction sites listed in Utah. By selecting a specific barrel, details can be found about the place, duration and lane closure information.
This is a camera view from U.S. 6 but other highways are available on the UDOT Traffic map. Camera images are updated regularly and include a time stamp so you know how recent the image is.
VMS can also be viewed from the app. These show current travel times between the sign and certain locations.
Alerts are the second feature available from the main menu across the bottom and contain advice and warning information regarding emergencies, TravelWise, road conditions, incidents, special events, construction and seasonal roads.
Details on each alert can be accessed from a list or viewed on the map.
This is an example of an incident alert on the map. It contains information on the location, nature of the incident and impact.
The third main feature of the app is all about weather. This section contains travel advisories, available during the winter months, as well as road forecasts and reports directly from our weather stations. Road forecasts and weather station data are available all year.
Travel advisories, weather stations and road forecasts are available in the Weather section of UDOT Traffic App.
Road Forecasts are created by TOC meteorologists and have details broken down in 3 hours increments up to 24 hours in advance.
The Weather Stations option displays graphs and data directly from RWIS around the state. This includes temperature, wind, dew point, etc.
The final portion of the app includes Mountain Passes. Mountain Passes are often impacted first by incoming weather. To help travelers understand what they will encounter in these areas we have consolidated them into one part of the app.
A list of all the mountain passes in Utah are available in this section of the app.
Once a mountain pass is selected information specific to that area, including cameras and weather forecasts, are available.
A camera view of Sardine Summit mountain pass.
These are some tips and tricks to navigating UDOT ‘s Traffic App. The application is available for iPhone and Android devices and can be downloaded for free through your smart phone’s app store. For more information on how UDOT receives data and traffic information check out this blog written about UDOT’s Traffic Operations Center. https://blog.udot.utah.gov/2013/06/optimizing-mobility-udots-traffic-management-division/
Everyone in the office loves the app, but we can’t figure out ANYWHERE what the purple color means….help? We get the red, yellow and green, but what does purple mean. Can you have a better help function on the app to explain some of the symbols and colors, please?
Hi Kim: The purple lines show up behind snow plows and show the path of the snow plows for the previous 30 minutes. It’s meant to be a guide to show which way they’re moving.
I can’t figure out what the red, yellow and green mean. I can’t find a legend anywhere. We aren’t from Utah but would like to use this app when we travel through. Can you add a legend?
Hi Dawn: Thanks for using the app. The red, yellow and green lines are used to indicate traffic congestion. Red signifies higher delays. Yellow signifies moderate delays. Green signifies no delays.
Lately, I have seen some roads flagged with what appears to be blue lines. Is that a valid color or is it the way my phone is displaying something. This is during the summer, so the purple snow plow line isn’t appropriate.
Hi Larry. The light blue lines on the app actually indicate the length of the construction zone. They are typically under the orange line, which indicates the area where lane restrictions are in place. Thanks for the question.
What does the light blue and gray mean on the road condition map?
Hi Becky. The grey means there is an error communicating with the weather station and it needs to be reset. Our traffic operation center does routinely monitor the connections for connections that need to be reset.
Where can one find a “legend” showing an explanation of the color codes assigned to roads?
Ross: There isn’t an official legend on the app itself, but we’re looking at providing one in an update. Most of the colors have been addressed here in the comments section, is there a specific color you’re referring to?
Map does not display. “Google play services updating” shown on the map tab.
What is the difference between camera symbols that are blue and black?
Caroline: The cameras that appear are blue are traffic cameras, the cameras that appear black are part of our weather stations.
The UDOT traffic app is a very useful app with great content and update cycles but it has one major flaw; no Legends! I had to search the internet to find out what your color codes represent. I eventually found the tutorial which helped; but I still had to look at your answers in the blog to find out what the purple lines meant and the difference between black and blue cameras. It was very awkward. Any cartographer would put a legend right in the app, or include a direct link. I suggest that you put a legend in the drop-down menu where you have your “About” or “Layer” sections for each map category. Overall it is a great app.
Thanks for the feedback, Joe. We are currently planning a redesign which will include a legend.