canonical: https://jentic.com/apis/511.idaho.gov/idaho-511 # 511 Idaho Gov Idaho 511 Transportation API Jentic publishes the only available OpenAPI specification for the Idaho 511 Transportation API, keeping it validated and agent-ready. The Idaho 511 API exposes real-time Idaho Department of Transportation data covering traffic events, road conditions, work zones, truck restrictions, mountain passes, weather stations, message signs, weigh stations, truck ramps, rest areas, traffic cameras, and the WZDx work-zone feed. Authentication is via an API key passed as the query parameter 'key'. The 12 endpoints support situational-awareness applications for trucking, fleet, navigation, and trip-planning use cases in Idaho. ## For AI agents Read real-time Idaho transportation data - events, road conditions, cameras, weather stations, mountain passes, truck restrictions, and WZDx work zones - using a query-string API key. ## Scope Does not provide turn-by-turn directions, geocoding, or any data outside Idaho's state-maintained roadway network - use for reading Idaho DOT real-time traffic, road condition, infrastructure, and WZDx work zone data only. ## Capabilities - Read live traffic events and incidents on Idaho roadways - Pull current road conditions including winter conditions on /winterroads - Retrieve truck restrictions, weigh station status, truck ramps, and rest area locations for commercial vehicle planning - Stream WZDx-formatted work zone data for in-cab navigation systems - Look up state-maintained traffic cameras, message signs, weather stations, and mountain pass status - Surface alerts and event-detail records by ID for downstream notification systems ## Use cases ### Commercial Trucking Trip Planning Before dispatch, check truck restrictions, weigh stations, and mountain pass status on the planned Idaho route. GET /truckrestrictions, /weighstations, /truckramps, and /mountainpasses combined give a routing system the operational picture so dispatchers can avoid restricted segments and keep drivers compliant. Example prompt: For a haul from Boise to Coeur d'Alene, fetch /truckrestrictions, /mountainpasses, and /weighstations, and produce a route briefing that flags any restricted segments or active passes. ### Live Traffic Map Overlay Power a public-facing or internal Idaho traffic map by polling /event for active incidents and /cameras for live camera feeds. Pair with /messagesigns and /weatherstations to overlay variable message sign content and weather conditions for richer situational awareness. Example prompt: Every 5 minutes fetch /event and /cameras and update map markers; flag any event whose severity is 'High' for an alert channel. ### WZDx Work Zone Distribution Idaho publishes a Work Zone Data Exchange (WZDx) feed at /wzdx. Consume it to surface upcoming work zones in connected-vehicle systems, third-party navigation apps, or fleet routing engines that already accept WZDx-formatted data. Example prompt: Fetch /wzdx hourly, identify new work zones since the last poll, and ingest them into a fleet routing system that consumes WZDx. ### Agent-Driven Traffic Briefings Let an AI assistant deliver a morning Idaho roads briefing - events, mountain pass status, weather, and active alerts - through Jentic. The agent searches by intent, loads the read schemas, supplies an Idaho 511 API key from the vault, and assembles the briefing without raw HTTP plumbing. Example prompt: Through Jentic, search 'get idaho traffic events', load /event, /alerts, and /mountainpasses, and return a 5-bullet morning briefing for routes I-84 and US-95. ## Key endpoints | Method | Path | Description | | --- | --- | --- | | GET | /event | List traffic events | | GET | /alerts | List Idaho DOT alerts | | GET | /cameras | List traffic cameras | | GET | /winterroads | Winter road conditions | | GET | /mountainpasses | Mountain pass status | | GET | /truckrestrictions | Truck restrictions | | GET | /wzdx | WZDx work zone feed | ## Key resources - **Events** — Traffic incidents and event detail by ID - **Road Conditions** — Current and winter road conditions plus mountain pass status - **Restrictions** — Truck restrictions, weigh stations, and truck escape ramps - **Infrastructure** — Cameras, message signs, weather stations, rest areas - **Work Zones** — WZDx-formatted work zone data feed - **Weather** — Roadside weather station readings ## Why Jentic - **Setup:** Wiring the Idaho 511 Transportation API by hand means managing its API key, appending it as a query parameter, and parsing traffic, camera, and work-zone feeds yourself. Through Jentic you install once, import the Idaho 511 Transportation API from the API Directory, store the key once, and your agent calls it. - **Permission scoping:** This API is read-only and selects data through query parameters rather than a resource id in the path, so limit the agent to the operations it needs, such as reading events, cameras, or mountain pass status, and leave out others unless you add them. You choose the allowed set, so only the operations you pick can run. - **Credential handling:** Your Idaho 511 API key is stored once, encrypted, by your own Jentic One instance and injected at execution time. It never enters the agent's prompt, logs, or context. - **Discovery method:** Agents search Jentic by intent such as 'get Idaho traffic events' or 'check mountain pass status', and Jentic returns the matching Idaho 511 operation with its input schema so the agent calls the right endpoint without browsing the reference docs. ## Related APIs - **New York 511 Traffic API** — New York 511 exposes a similar traffic-events, cameras, and message-signs feed for New York State. - **OpenWeather API** — OpenWeather provides forecasts that complement Idaho 511's road-side observations. - **WeatherAPI** — WeatherAPI offers point forecasts and historical data alongside Idaho's roadside sensors. ## FAQ ### Why is there no official OpenAPI spec for the Idaho 511 Transportation API? The Idaho Department of Transportation publishes a developer reference at 511.idaho.gov/developers/doc but no OpenAPI specification. Jentic generates and maintains this spec so that AI agents and developers can call the Idaho 511 API via structured tooling. It is validated against the live API and kept up to date. Get started with Jentic One, the self-hosted execution layer. ### What authentication does the Idaho 511 API use? It uses an API key passed as the query parameter 'key' on every request. Through Jentic, the key is stored encrypted in the vault and appended to the query string at execution, so agents never see the raw key. ### What WZDx data does Idaho publish? GET /wzdx returns Idaho's active work zones in the federal Work Zone Data Exchange format, suitable for connected-vehicle and routing systems that already consume WZDx feeds. The feed is updated by Idaho DOT and reflects scheduled and active closures. ### How do I get current Idaho traffic events? Call GET /event for the list of active traffic events. Each event record includes location, severity, and a description. Combine with /alerts for higher-priority advisories from Idaho DOT. ### How do I get an Idaho road briefing through Jentic? Run pip install jentic, then search 'idaho traffic events', load /event and /mountainpasses, and execute on the routes you care about. Run it through Jentic One, the self-hosted execution layer to receive an agent API key for execution. ### Can I plan a commercial truck route with this API? Yes - combine /truckrestrictions, /weighstations, /truckramps, and /mountainpasses with /event for a full picture before dispatch. The data is intended to support compliant routing on Idaho state-maintained roads. ### Can I limit what my agent is allowed to do with the Idaho 511 Transportation API? Yes. Because you run Jentic One yourself, your own rules decide which of this read-only API's operations the agent can call, so you can allow just the ones it needs, such as GET /event, GET /cameras, or GET /mountainpasses, and leave the rest out. Since the API selects data through query parameters rather than resource ids in the path, restricting the operation set is enough to bound what the agent can reach. Only the operations you choose can run, and your encrypted API key is injected at execution rather than exposed to the agent.