Potholes & everything 311

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by h' Zerocats on July 27, 2012 at 12:29pm

Sounds like we'll have more of an incentive to inappropriately close reports than we do with the current system.

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Permalink Reply by Julie Aberman (Hochstadter) on July 27, 2012 at 1:45pm

why?

h' said:

Sounds like we'll have more of an incentive to inappropriately close reports than we do with the current system.

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Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on July 27, 2012 at 2:05pm

Excellent!  Since I regularly use 311 (especially online) to report problems, I'll be glad to see a better web interface.  I would *love* to see the web interface give a TRACKING # after a report is submitted.  An earlier version did this via the email response, but they lost it in the most recent revision.

Since some of us may submit more than one 311 request on a day, it would be great if the system either returned a tracking # on screen or gave the location of the request along with the tracking # in email.  In the previous version, if I submitted 3 or 4 requests, unless I kept a record of the order of the requests, I didn't know which tracking # corresponded to which request when I went back to the emails.

Another request - will the next version actually sync with Google Maps to allow accurate reporting of off-street locations (such as Major Taylor Trail, Burnham Greenway, etc.) without jumping through a lot of hoops?  These locations are identifiable on Google Maps, and the more intelligent 311 operators get it.  If you get a dense one, good luck! 

Could they also make location requirements CONSISTENT for different types of requests?  Could all types of requests rely on approx. street address, nearest intersection for location OR grid coordinates on trail?  Right now forestry requires the actual street address of the nearest building, which makes it impossible to get requests for off-street locations like stand-alone trails entered into the system.  Potholes, street lights out, graffiti, fly dumping, dead animals, etc. ALL go by approx. street address or nearest intersection now.  Why does forestry have to be different?

Just my $0.02.... Yes, I've spent WAY too much time on 311 requests over the last several years.  Can you tell?  ;)

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Permalink Reply by Tom Kompare on July 29, 2012 at 4:25pm

Anne,

From what I can gather, the new web input and reporting interfaces will be MUCH better than it is at the moment. Again, instead of stirring the rumor mill, I'll report on what I see at the meeting/demo this week. The meeting is Thursday evening.

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Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on July 29, 2012 at 6:12pm

Thanks.  I'll look forward to your recap after the meeting.

Tom Kompare said:

Anne,

From what I can gather, the new web input and reporting interfaces will be MUCH better than it is at the moment. Again, instead of stirring the rumor mill, I'll report on what I see at the meeting/demo this week. The meeting is Thursday evening.

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Permalink Reply by Tom Kompare on August 6, 2012 at 8:36pm

Okay. Here is the progress on the new Chicago 311 web input and reporting.

1. The city is opening up the 311 system to web developers (like me). But really anyone. This means people who have the skills will be able to write their own 311 input and reporting straight to/from the 311 system.

2. The City application is going to concentrate (for now) on reporting out the back end. The reporting the city is going to roll out is very detailed. Anyone will be able to track requests at every step, and as requests get closed and opened into new tickets for different departments; to be completed.. or passed like a hot potato or a game of pong. the reporting will be completely open to the public.

A previous poster said "Sounds like we'll have more of an incentive to inappropriately close reports than we do with the current system." Actually, no. Do this, and the public and anyone else paying attention will be there to watch you do that. Good luck with that strategy.

 

Also, on the 311 request input, I'm going to be doing some testing of a smartphone app a group of persons are developing for the new 311 system. When that gets closer to fruition, I'll make another report.

 

The timeline for all of this is within the next few months.

 

So, maybe in the end, your bike's new favorite pothole may not be filled faster. At least, you'll know where in the patch pipeline it is. And watch when city departments are playing "pong" with your request, and you can complain to your alderman about it. Maybe someone with some madd statistical skillz will be able to roughly predict how long it might take!

 

Cheers, everyone.

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