Use FL511 for back to school travels
In the month of August, a new school year gets underway for hundreds of thousands of students statewide. The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) encourages motorists traveling to and from their school as well as a school related event to use the Florida 511 (FL511) Advanced Traveler Information System (ATIS) to help with your driving at this time, whether associated with school or not. Motorists are encouraged to check FL511.com before they leave home for incidents, alerts, and other traffic information. Once on the road, a passenger can check the FL511 Mobile App for the latest conditions.
The FL511 Mobile App provides directions to any destination in Florida with travel times and alternate routes on most roadways throughout the state. Users can also get information on crashes, congestion, construction, and closures on Florida’s interstates, toll roads, and other major roadways. The FL511 Mobile App has destination-based routing and the ability to speak your request to the app. For destination-based routing, users enter their destination and are provided multiple routes with travel times based on current traffic conditions. Another feature is the Drive Mode. While in Drive Mode, users receive detailed alerts for incidents occurring along their route. When requesting information using voice, users of the app can now request a city, county, or roadway and the app will play back all associated events within a specific radius.
Save on supplies and clothes before school begins
Before the school year begins, parents and students may want to take advantage of Florida’s 2019 Back-To-School Sales Tax Holiday, which begins on Friday, August 2 and runs through Tuesday, August 6. Qualifying items will be exempt from tax including certain school supplies selling for $15 or less per item; clothing, footwear, and certain accessories selling for $60 or less per item; and computers and certain accessories selling for $1,000 or less per item, when purchased for noncommercial or personal use. FL511 can provide suggested directions to your favorite store to take advantage of the back-to-school sales tax holiday.
Travel to an NFL pre-season game with FL511
Pro football fans are in for a treat in August, with six NFL pre-season games in the Sunshine State this month.
The National Football League (NFL) holds a month of pre-season games each August for its teams to practice on the field against other teams. They do not count toward the season statistics, but are fun and exciting nonetheless.
Florida’s three NFL teams will play six pre-season games in the state:
Hard Rock Stadium, Miami 
- August 8: Miami Dolphins vs. Atlanta Falcons, 7:30 p.m.
- August 22: Miami Dolphins vs. Jacksonville Jaguars, 8 p.m.
Raymond James Stadium, Tampa 
- August 16: Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Miami Dolphins, 7:30 p.m.
- August 23: Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Cleveland Browns, 7:30 p.m.
TIAA Bank Field, Jacksonville 
- August 15: Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Philadelphia Eagles, 7 p.m.
- August 29: Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Atlanta Falcons, 7 p.m.
Please consider using the Florida 511 Mobile App and FL511.com to plan your trip to and from the stadium, if you attend a game. The roads leading to the stadium can be crowded, and all the games will conclude after dark requiring extra caution while on the road.
The Florida 511 (FL511) Advanced Traveler Information System (ATIS) is the state’s official source for traffic and travel information. This public information service is accessible by mobile app, website in English and Spanish, Twitter messages, Facebook, Instagram, text alerts and more. FL511 provides camera snapshots on major Florida roads, so users can see road conditions ahead. The goal is to provide information about current conditions to keep traffic moving safely and efficiently. To accomplish its goal, FL511 provides the latest traffic information on crashes, congestion, construction and closures on all of Florida’s interstates, toll roads and major metropolitan roadways, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
For information about the FL511, click here. For information on the Florida 511 Mobile App, click here.
Use FL511 To Navigate To A College Football Game!
With the start of the school year comes the beginning of the collegiate fall football season. Many Florida motorists will be on the road to a college football game. FDOT encourages motorists to travel smart to a football game by downloading the FL511 Mobile App to get up-to-the minute, real-time traffic conditions and incident information before reaching their destination. Although many games will take place throughout the entire football season, here are four featured games that will be played in August:
- August 24: UF Gators vs. UM Hurricanes, 7 p.m., Camping World Stadium in Orlando.
- August 29: FAMU Rattlers vs. UCF Knights, 7:30 p.m., Spectrum Stadium in Orlando.
- August 30: USF Bulls vs. Wisconsin Badgers, 7 p.m., Raymond James Stadium in Tampa.
- August 31: FSU Seminoles vs. Boise State Broncos, 7 p.m., TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville.
Before heading out, drivers should visit the FL511.com website for important traffic information and incident alerts. Once on the road, have a passenger check the Florida 511 Mobile App to avoid using a phone while behind the wheel. Get the Florida 511 Mobile App on Google Play, or download it from the Apple App Store.
Travelers can follow FL511 on 13 Twitter handles, on Facebook @FL511, and Instagram @Florida_511. For more information, visit the website at www.FL511.com to Connect. Know. Go.
Florida Events in August
Use FL511 to plan your trip to these and other events this month:
Tampa Bay Comic Convention (Tampa)
August 2 to 4, 2019
Tampa Bay Comic Convention is Tampa’s largest, true comic convention. Featured are exhibitors that cater to a wide-spectrum of interests including comic books, magazines, toys, games, Star Wars, Star Trek, anime, manga, cosplay, artwork, sketches and apparel. Tampa Bay Comic Convention is a family-friendly convention.
50th Annual Wausau Possum Festival (Wausau)
August 3, 2019
A day of down-home entertainment is in store at the Possum Festival in historic Wausau. The fun includes a pancake breakfast; arts and crafts vendors; possum parade; hog callin’, rooster crowin’ and cow lowin’ contests; horseshoe pitching; gospel, bluegrass and country music and more.
23rd Annual Key West Lobsterfest (Key West)
August 8 to 11, 2019
Celebrate the opening of Florida’s lobster season with fresh lobster, cold drinks and great music. Events include a lobster boil, pool party, pub crawl, street fair and concert, and lobster brunch!
2019 Florida Kids and Family Expo (Orlando)
August 17-18, 2019
Enjoy epic family fun while discovering new ideas and opportunities for the whole family. The Florida Kids and Family Expo features 150 exhibitors with fun-filled activities for kids, plus information for adults to enhance living in Central Florida. Live performances, interactive stations, petting zoo, bounce houses and many more activities are featured.
Pepsi Gulf Coast Jam (Panama City Beach)
August 30 to September 1, 2019
Country on the coast! Pepsi Gulf Coast Jam is a three-day country music festival in Panama City Beach over Labor Day weekend. The Jam takes place in one of Florida’s most beautiful beach locations. Festivalgoers travel from across the United States not only for the country music but for a beach vacation as well!
19th Annual Geckofest (Gulfport)
August 31, 2019
Each year, Gulfport celebrates the end of summer with its largest festival of the year, dedicated to the town’s unofficial mascot and favorite reptile. The festival has grown to become one of Tampa Bay’s most anticipated events of the year.
FL511 Photo of the Month
The FL511 team was among 20 exhibitors at the Chico’s FAS 2019 Hurricane Seminar & Emergency Preparedness Expo in Fort Myers on June 12. Approximately 150 Lee County area residents stopped by the exhibit to learn about the updated Florida 511 Mobile App and other system features. The purpose of the event was to raise awareness about the importance of planning ahead for hurricanes. Presentations were made by Lee County Emergency Management and NBC2 Weather. FL511 should be in everyone’s hurricane preparedness kit! Pictured are two attendees at the expo.