The 2011-12 State Transportation Map has officially arrived, and a free copy can be yours simply by contacting the N.C. Department of Transportation.
What is new and exciting about this year’s map? In addition to the features people have come to expect from the state map (a detailed representation of highways throughout the state, insets of major metropolitan areas, indexes of cities and towns), this new map highlights North Carolina’s natural beauty and the efforts under way across our state to preserve and protect its resources.
Evidence of these initiatives can be seen on North Carolina’s highways, from solar panels placed along the roadway shoulders to harness the power of the sun, to roadside crops of sunflowers and canola plants that will later be converted into biofuel.
The map also incorporates new technology by featuring a QR (Quick Response) barcode that can be scanned by cell phones and other mobile devices to take you directly to NCDOT Mobile, a phone-friendly version of the NCDOT website.
NCDOT Mobile provides instant access to real-time traffic and travel conditions, along with other useful information like rest area locations and ferry and Amtrak schedules. This new service allows travelers to know before they go.
The State Transportation Map remains NCDOT’s most popular publication and 2.25 million copies of the new map have been printed. In 2009, the department transitioned from a one-year map to a two-year map, cutting printing costs in half. North Carolina’s first state map was published in 1916.
To request a free copy of the new map, go to www.ncdot.gov and click on “State Travel Map.” Customers without Internet access can call NCDOT’s Customer Service Office toll free at 1-877-DOT-4YOU (368-4968) to order a map. They are also available at welcome centers, rest areas and NCDOT offices across the state.