In a rut? Don’t stop calling 311 W

ho would think a streak of sunny, warm weather in the heart of January would put Edmontonians in such a foul mood? As temperatures returned to their sub-zero norm this week, mushy, water-filled streets became jagged, icy moonscapes. Annoyed citizens, fearing for their vehicles’ underbellies, bombarded the city’s 311 call centre.

It turns out there is something even more annoying than a slow, bumpy ride down a rutted Edmonton road. That’s being told to scale back complaints about the state of those streets.

On Monday, the city’s director of roadway maintenance asked Edmontonians to think twice before calling 311 about their roads and alleys if they are “passable.” Don’t call 311 about rough roads, and certainly don’t dial about windrows — those lines of snow left by the graders — smaller than 30 cm on residential streets, unless they affect accessibility. And please, please, please don’t call repeatedly about the same problem.

The city hotline, Edmontonians heard, has received far more calls than normal about the state of city roads. That is not to say 311 itself is overwhelmed by the calls.

The 24-hour call centre, set up as a one-stop shop for those looking to register kids in swimming lessons, license their dog or complain about their neighbour’s weed-infested lawn, routinely handles more than 150,000 calls every month. In December, that month of heavy snow, 311 received more than 181,800 calls on countless subjects — still less than the 199,000 calls logged last July.

Let’s acknowledge the city’s road crews have faced a tough winter. December’s massive snowfalls kept crews working constantly and since then there’s been freezing rain, a bit more snow, a major thaw and now back into the deep freeze. It is no surprise citizens are calling with complaints.

It’s also no surprise they are calling 311. That is what it was designed for.

In fact, the call centre is precisely where Edmontonians should be turning — repeatedly if need be — to register complaints. 311 data, sorted by call type, is available to council members, who can use that data to help weigh how people feel about city policy.

Of course, messages sometimes get lost in translation.

A city spokeswoman said Tuesday that Edmontonians should know their road complaints, even those logged multiple times, are taken seriously. An inspector or foreman goes out to inspect every complaint and evaluate whether it needs attention under the snow- and ice-clearing policy approved by council.

The transportation department may well be overwhelmed with the number of complaints it is getting. The answer to that is not to ask people to stop calling 311.

Instead, show some sympathy for city staff snowed under with complaints, and use common sense and good manners when calling 311. Improved online reporting could also aid this problem in the future, and the city is looking into the possibilities.

Council is also reviewing its snow-clearing policy — again — and a report will be delivered to council in May. Anyone who thinks side streets should be plowed to the pavement, regardless of price, or believes windrows should be cut back at 20 cm instead of 30, should tell their city councillor. Likewise for those happy with the current state of service.

It couldn’t hurt to share that opinion with 311 for good measure. It is, after all, a call centre. They can handle it.