Frequently Asked Questions

1. How are Traffic Alerts generated?
2. How long does it take to receive a Traffic Alert after it's sent?
3. How many Traffic Alerts can I expect to receive?
4. How many characters is each Traffic Alert?
5. Is my personal information safe?
6. Who can I contact with questions about my Traffic Alert account?

How are Traffic Alerts generated?

Data from the Houston TranStar traffic management system is the source for the Traffic Alerts.

As the traffic operators at Houston TranStar monitor conditions on Houston area freeways and High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes, they update information about incidents in the TranStar system.  This information is monitored by the automated Traffic Alert notification software.  As the software detects changes in the incident information, it generates alerts in the form of E-mail, to registered users. 

Travel time alerts are generated by using real-time information collected by the Houston TranStar AVI Traffic Monitoring System.

How long does it take to receive a Traffic Alert after it's sent?

As information is updated in the database, E-mail alerts are sent almost instantly to users. Despite this, there are many factors that can influence the length of time before delivery, including the user's Internet service provider, location of the user, responsiveness of the mobile device, and Internet traffic.

How many Traffic Alerts can I expect to receive?

For incidents, the number of alerts you receive will depend on the number of incidents that occur on the roadways for which you register.  On average, you can expect to receive 6-10 alerts per freeway between 5 AM and 7 PM.  This means that if you register to receive alerts for two freeways between 5 AM and 7 PM each weekday, you can expect to receive as many as 400 alerts a month.  See the warning to read about the risks of receiving a large number of alerts.

The number of travel time alerts you receive is configurable in your user profile.

How many characters is each Traffic Alert?

Each Traffic Alert is typically less than 150 characters.

Is my personal information safe?

Any personal information you provide for Houston TransStar Traffic Alerts is protected. The only thing we will use your information for is to provide you with the service you've registered for.

Who can I contact with questions about my Traffic Alert account?

For questions about your account, send an E-mail to trafficalert@houstontranstar.org.