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Newsom wants to improve 311
By: Mike Aldax
Examiner Staff Writer
10/14/09 11:07 AM PDT
San Franciscans just can’t get enough of dialing 311.
And Mayor Gavin Newsom’s ideas on how to make use of The City’s complaint hotline appear endless.
The 311 call center, a Newsom pet project, is a general help line for information about city services such as Muni and allows residents to report quality-of-life complaints, like potholes or broken street lights.
“Since its launch in March 2007, 311 has answered over 7 million calls and thousands of more requests online,” Newsom wrote in a guest blog post on Mashable today.
Residents who don’t want to chat on the phone can send reports online on Twitter.
In his blog today, Newsom said The City wants software developers to create slick web applications that will make it easier for residents to use 311 and for city departments to respond to requests.
The mayor’s example: “A smart phone application” where citizens can use their cell phone’s camera and GPS system to help city departments respond more efficiently to problem areas.
“This would create mapped and photographed issues that make it easier for The City to locate, investigate and resolve problems,” the mayor wrote.
The mayor’s new tech request is called Open 311.
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