Travelers' information station
radio station used to broadcast travel and other information
A travelers' information station (TIS), also called highway advisory radio (HAR) by the United States Department of Transportation, is a licensed low-powered non-commercial radio station, used to broadcast information to the general public, including for motorists regarding travel, destinations of interest, and situations of imminent danger and emergencies. They are commonly operated by transportation departments, national and local parks departments and historic sites, airport authorities, local governments, federal agencies, colleges and universities, hospitals and health agencies, and special events and destinations.
United States
Current regulations and applications
In the United States, most Travelers Information Stations (TIS) are licensed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), although stations operated by U.S. national parks and others under U.S. federal government jurisdiction are licensed by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). Programming normally consists of continuously repeated pre-recorded messages. Permissible station content is defined by the FCC as:
... only noncommercial voice information pertaining to traffic and road conditions, traffic hazard and travel advisories, directions, availability of lodging, rest stops and service stations, and descriptions of local points of interest. It is not permissible to identify the commercial name of any business whose service may be available within or outside the coverage area of a Travelers' Information Station. However, to facilitate announcements concerning departures/arrivals and parking areas at air, train, and bus terminals, the trade name identification of carriers is permitted. Travelers' Information Stations may also transmit information in accordance with the [safety and emergency communication] provisions of §§90.405 and 90.407.
Most TIS/HAR licenses in the U.S are held by governmental entities, in addition to quasi-governmental agencies and authorities as well as health and emergency service providers working in conjunction with the government.
“Travelers' information station” enters the record as radio station used to broadcast travel and other information. Crown Archives preserves that source wording while asking what Travelers', information and station can confirm, complicate or overturn.
Why this record matters
“Travelers' information station” is worth following because a concise public description often conceals a longer documentary argument. Here, Travelers', information and station provides the most credible route into that argument.
Place names and jurisdictional language are key evidence: both can reveal earlier catalogue descriptions and overlooked record series. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 14, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q5759948. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference.
A single description cannot reconcile every naming convention, rebuilding phase or administrative transfer associated with a place. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Travelers' information station”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Travelers' information station primary sources, Travelers' information station archive and Travelers' research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Travelers' information station”?
- What physical evidence or contemporary plan supports the description?
- Which earlier names or jurisdictions may reveal additional records?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Travelers' information station” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.