Mayor anticipates Calgarians will be keen to use to 311 app
The city is bracing for higher 311 call volumes with the launch of a smartphone application allowing citizens to report such issues as graffiti, unclean parks, potholes and burned out street lights.
The cellphone app, which is available free for iPhones and Android devices on the city’s website, allows users to send geotagged photographs with GPS to help workers locate the complaint areas across the city.
Citizens can also now track progress of their complaints online.
The modern convenience of using cellphones to send city operators concerns about cracked sidewalks and blocked pedestrian paths may deluge 311 operators with more work and therefore could cost the city more, said Mayor Naheed Nenshi.
“I’m not sure there will be a ton of savings in the short term. In fact, this will likely lead to more 311 cost requests, but it will allow us to fix problems people have,” Nenshi said Tuesday while introducing the app.
“The work flow savings will be significant, but my guess will be they will be outweighed by the increased volume of things that need fixing.”
The real-time reporting requests are published online, and a 311 Twitter account is in the works.
It won’t respond to messages, but will publish the requests the city receives “just as a matter of transparency,” said Nenshi.
“311 isn’t a black hole, people can know exactly what it’s working on. 311 is a marvellous service and it’s made a huge difference in the lives of many citizens.
It enables citizens to help the community be better. People should think of themselves as citizen superheroes when they report things like this. That they have the ability to use the devices in their pockets to make the city better for themselves and their neighbours.”
A city website with a map also shows existing complaints with photos, hoping to curb duplication of calls, and also lets users track progress of their complaints online.
The mapping feature also helps show clusters of problem areas, which may be helpful for city officials to address early warning signs that may need attention. The app cost the city $90,000. The city has been looking for a way to help streamline 311 requests and reports by bringing them online and making them available for mobile phones since Ald. Peter Demong introduced a notice of motion last June.
Last year, the city fielded more than a million calls for 456,849 service requests through 311. Of those, 44,489 files were sent online.
There are 17 services available to report with the 311 app, ranging from problems with roads, street lights, parks, and water and sewage.
Graffiti falls under the “other” category.
The anticipated efficiencies and automated reporting system will not see jobs lost, officials said.
“The more people report, the more work there is,” said Peter Marsden, president of Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 38, which represents the city’s 311 call centre employees.
“We’re hoping it won’t impact service delivery times — it could overload the system,” he said. “It’s one of those stories with people having the ability to report things — it just creates more paper and more work. Hopefully it does expedite issues being addressed.”
Demong says the app was a long time coming.
Crowd-sourcing data with 311 apps, such as SeeClickFix, FixMyStreet and the one being considered by the city called Connected Bits, are catching on.
Many American cities are already making use of the system, including New York, Pittsburg, Honolulu, Baltimore and Boston.
Since Toronto’s launch of a graffiti and pothole app last spring, the city says the success was instant.
Although other major cities have already been making use of the apps, Calgary is regarded as a leader, said city transportation general manager Mac Logan.
“Most people are calling us to find out what we’re doing,” said Logan.
While many Calgarians will likely continuing calling 311 over the phone to report problems, younger residents are already imagining making use of the service.
“I think it would encourage a lot of people who wouldn’t have thought to report things,” said Nicole Smyth.
“I know I will.”