Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Topics:

Cameras
Popular Features
TripCheck Mobile
Road Conditions
Technical Issues
Common TripCheck Abbreviations

Cameras

How often do the cameras update?

The updating cycle varies, but most cameras update several times an hour.

Why aren't there cameras at more locations?

Our network of cameras continues to expand. The TripCheck team continues to work with ODOT staff in various parts of the state to judge priorities for new camera installations. The ability to access phone and power sources, among other constraints, can limit our options for new camera sites. There are also costs for maintenance and operations that are considered. Currently, there are over 190 cameras on TripCheck.

Why don’t you have directional indicators on all cameras?

The cameras outside the Portland area all have a direction indicator on them located in the right hand corner above the camera image. ODOT tries to provide directional indicators based on the general direction of the highway, for example I-84 has an east/west direction and I-5 has a north-south direction.

These particular cameras are mounted to a pole and never change direction so we’re able to give you the permanent direction based on the information we get from the technician who mounts the camera.

For example, the Rex ‘T’ Barber Bridge, just north of Bend says in the top right corner above the image, “Looking East”.

The cameras in the Portland area are a little different and are Pan, Zoom, Tilt (PZT) cameras. These cameras are able to swivel via remote control from our traffic operators at the Portland Operations center. Because they move, you can not have a permanent directional indicator on them since they changes direction often.

However, there is a special option some of our cameras have, in which they can change the directional indicator as the camera moves. Not all of the Portland cameras have this direction indicator option.

You are able to see how this works from the camera at I-205 and Foster, where you will see the direction on the image (see 'SOUTH' on the top left inside the image).

In the next image from I-205 at Foster, you are able to see the camera is now pointed north and the directional indicator has changed.

Popular Features

What is the 'Alert' feature?

Travel and traffic conditions that have a major impact on motorists are displayed as "Alerts". Road Closures, delays over 2 hours, major NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmosphere Administration) alerts, and hazardous weather (both regional and statewide) are examples. You will also be able to see Amber Alerts and manually entered alerts when they are applicable.

What are 'Announcements'?

Announcements are related to TripCheck itself. If we add a new feature, have a service interruption, or make changes that impact users we will share that information as an announcement.

TripCheck Mobile

Can I get TripCheck information on my phone?

Yes, ODOT's phone system provides the same road condition information as TripCheck, simply dial 511. Not all phone companies participate in the 511 initiative. If you can not reach 511, please dial our other toll-free number 800 977-ODOT (6368). Out of state dial 503 588-2941. Click here for more details about our 511 initiative.

Is there a version of TripCheck for cell phones and Personal digital Assistants (PDA)?

Yes, there is a Web site formatted specifically for mobile devices. The URL is www.tripcheck.com/mobile. Most mobile devices will be automatically directed to the site if they access www.tripcheck.com. The mobile version of TripCheck has a handy menu structure and is formatted for the smaller screen size of cell phones and PDAs. Alerts, Incidents, Cameras, Road Conditions as well as Travel Services are all displayed on the mobile web site. Please access this link on the 511|Mobile page within this web site to read more instructions for your PDA/Mobile web browsing.

Road Conditions

How is the winter road condition information obtained and how often is it updated?

During winter months, ODOT maintenance crews provide Road/Weather reports for our mandatory road reporting stations. These stations are located in areas that typically get the worst weather. The reports are displayed on TripCheck road conditions maps as Severe Weather Hazards (full blue circles) or Weather Warnings (half blue circles).

Crews provide reports five times per day and at other times when conditions change significantly. The daily reporting times are approximately 4:00 AM, 7:00 AM, 10:00 AM, 3:30 PM, and 8:30 PM. Actual reporting times can vary depending on crew availability.

During major winter storms, personnel can be busy responding to incidents or clearing snow on certain highway segments which can cause delays in our reporting of conditions on other highway segments.
Reporting may not occur during periods of good weather when crews are not on duty during some shifts. Road condition reports for non-mandatory reporting stations are reported only when conditions warrant.

Why doesn't TripCheck show incidents on all the roads in Oregon?

ODOT is responsible for only about 1/4 of the total roads in the state. There are several other jurisdictions that manage their own roads and may or may report road conditions on them. Our 'Alert' feature, however, does provide some additional information from the NWS (National Weather Service) and additionally, we will enter alerts related to broad geographical areas (For example, "Ice Storm in Portland Metro Area"). Our roadside cameras look at some arterial streets, around the Rose Garden arena in Portland and on highways in California and Vancouver, Washington.

The light green roads on TripCheck are displayed for reference only. ODOT does not report conditions for these roads. In most cases, these light green roads are National Park roads, National Scenic Byways, Oregon Scenic Byways, or American Scenic Byways. You should always make local inquiries for specific road and travel conditions, especially in remote areas. Some roads are impassible following severe weather conditions.

TripCheck (ODOT) is working to create partnerships with additional transportation agencies and jurisdictions with plans to share their data in the future. Although TripCheck does not show all incidents and weather conditions on all roads, our Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) plans briefly addresses this topic. If you are interested in learning more about statewide ITS plans, please visit our ITS web site at: http://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/HWY/ITS/its_documents.shtml.

Why do you have such broad categories for delay information such as 'greater than 2 hours'?

It is very difficult to anticipate the precise time delay that any incident may cause considering the nature of the incident and potential injury to motorists. Serious incidents may require on scene investigations or the intervention of a HAZMAT unit which can extend the delay considerably.

We try to indicate a general factor for a delay that helps motorist make good decisions about taking an alternate route, delaying their travel, or taking another mode of travel. We make a very concerted effort to update our information as conditions change or we have better information to share.

I’ve seen temperature differences between these two symbols when I clicked on them: a blue circle (or semi-circle) and the blue weather flags. Why?

The blue weather flags are automated weather stations with instruments that are set to take a reading every set interval. In some cases, these devices are in remote areas and the interval is set to every 15 minutes, for example. The blue circle or semi-circle are actual, live reports from ODOT crew members that have been to the location and relayed the road and weather conditions. In some cases the blue circles represent a location that has a mile point range, rather than a fixed position.

Crews provide reports (blue circles or semi-circles) five times per day and at other times when conditions change significantly. The daily reporting times are approximately 4:00 AM, 7:00 AM, 9:30 AM, 1:30 PM, and 8:30 PM. Actual reporting times can vary depending on crew availability and the locations they are working.

Do all incidents and conditions on Oregon roads appear on TripCheck?

The long range plan for TripCheck is to expand and provide information from several different agencies across the state. Currently we report conditions only for the state highway system. Our new 'Alert' feature, however, will provide information related to broad geographical areas ("Ice Storm in Portland Metro Areas'). Our roadside cameras look at some arterial streets, around the Rose Garden arena for example, in Portland and at highways in California and Vancouver, Washington.

Does ODOT have advice on what items should be carried in your car for winter or general travel around the state?

ODOT has published a notice on general winter travel with a number of helpful topics.

Here is the URL: http://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/COMM/winterdriving.shtml

Technical Issues

My browser is not showing me up-to-date images. What do I do?

What's probably happened is that your computer is showing old ‘cached’ images rather than the latest images from our cameras. We have seen a trend in people experiencing these browser related problems, especially if they are using the latest version of Mozilla’s FireFox browser software.
Fortunately, there is an easy remedy to the problem. First depress the CTRL key on your computer keyboard and then press F5 together with CTRL. Pressing Ctrl+F5 should force your browser to ignore its cache and request a new image from the server. Now, check to see if this fixes the problem. If that didn't work lets go to the next step of emptying your cache. If you're using Internet Explorer, you can do this by opening IE, clicking on "tools," clicking on "Internet options," and deleting your temporary Internet files and/or history files.

If you continue to have problems, please email us at: ODOT TripCheck Support (TripCheck.Support@odot.state.or.us).

I’ve heard that TripCheck's data is available in XML (Extensible Mark Up Language) format. Is this true?

Yes, ODOT has recently implemented a system for accessing our data via XML. This system, the TripCheck Traveler Information Portal (TTIP), is targeted at commercial data providers and public agencies. Email us at: ODOT TripCheck Support (TripCheck.Support@odot.state.or.us) for more information.

I saw TripCheck camera images on my local news channel or cable television. Why can't I see streaming images on the TripCheck.com web site?

ODOT has partnered with many TV stations and cable companies to provide access to the TripCheck live camera images. In these cases, the respective companies have installed equipment and connectivity to ODOT's servers at their own expense. For ODOT to provide this type of access across our 170 camera network is not feasible at this time. We are aware that this is a popular request and are monitoring new technologies and approaches to provide this service to as many users as possible.

Common TripCheck Abbreviations