Mayor Gray Announces Launch of New Smartphone App for 311 Users

Mayor Gray Announces Launch of New Smartphone App for 311 Users

Application Allows District Residents to Send Requests for Pothole Repair, Graffiti Removal and Other City Services with the Push of a Button

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – Today, Mayor Vincent C. Gray announced the official launch of the District’s new DC311 smartphone app. This free download allows citizens to report service requests from their iPhone or Android mobile devices. Currently, there are over 80 different service requests to choose from, including complaints about trash, potholes, graffiti and illegal dumping.

“The new DC311 app provides another way to achieve a goal I announced during my State of the District Address this year: Making the District government the nation’s best and most responsive at providing services to our residents,” Mayor Gray said. “With this emerging technology, we continue to ensure that the District is a safe and beautiful place for all of our residents and visitors by giving them a tool for real-time collaboration with our government. If you see a pothole, graffiti, or a broken streetlight, you can snap a photo of it and send it directly to 311! Now there is, literally, an app for that – and within 30 seconds you can be on your way to a resolution.”

This new tool, together with the Citywide Call Center and 311Online, is yet another way the community can report a problem. Information from all these sources is funneled into one database for tracking and resolution. The free app automatically pinpoints the location of the reported problem using GPS technology. Registered users can also attach a photo and provide the exact location for the service request. Once the request is submitted, users will receive an e-mail from 311 confirming receipt of the request, including the service request number. They will also receive a follow-up e-mail when the request has been closed by the servicing agency. Citizens can also track the status of their requests any time.

Rural Community Offers Big City Technology

Nevada, Missouri residents now have a more high-tech way of reporting potholes, non-working street lights, trash, or other problems to the city government. Residents with smartphones can get a new mobile app called SeeClickFix to inform city staff of their public issues. The mobile app, unveiled by City Manager JD Kehrman, allows users to document, take photos of a problem, and automatically provide GPS coordinates. After the report is submitted, users can track all reported problems on a map as well.

"This technology is much more than just another exciting new application for mobile devices; it’s a vehicle to promote and encourage accountability and transparency in the delivery of services by local governments." Kehrman said. "The City of Nevada Missouri is pleased to lead the way in the implementation of technologies that will shape the future of interactions between residents and local government professionals."

With the online reporting platform, residents can report quality-of-life concerns directly to City Hall through custom service request categories via the City of Nevada website, SeeClickFix.com, or mobile applications for iPhone, Android and Blackberry. The platform allows citizens to provide additional information about the issue by adding a detailed description or including a photograph in their report. Once someone submits an issue, both the reporter and the City of Nevada will receive an email notification. The local government can then acknowledge the service request, route it to the proper department, and update the issue page once it’s been resolved. All updates on issues reported through SeeClickFix are displayed publicly, allowing Nevada to quickly and easily inform citizens of their progress.

"It’s exciting to be the first city in the State of Missouri to implement this readily used and popular new technology," said Mayor Brian Leonard. "The purpose of this app is to identify concerns in our community and to foster a safe and vibrant community for all who reside in and visit our city. This will be a valuable tool to help improve the quality of life in the City of Nevada."

Just because it’s "Small Town" Missouri doesn’t mean it lacks big city technologies, education, amenities and culture. Through a partnership powered by SeeClickFix, Nevada, a thriving rural community, is able to offer programs and services usually reserved for larger municipalities.

City of Coatesville Joins SeeClickFix Family

Coatesville Announces New Partnership with Online, Mobile Citizen Reporting Platform

City Will Use SeeClickFix to Improve Quality of Life, Encourage Greater Civic Participation

Coatesville, PA (December 16, 2011) - Today, City Manager Gary Rawlings announces a new program that will allow residents to report quality-of-life issues and request city services through an online and mobile interface. Powered by SeeClickFix, the place-based reporting platform allows residents to document neighborhood concerns and improvements alike, ranging from potholes and graffiti to illegal dumping and snow removal.

“With this emerging technology, the City of Coatesville hopes to further manage and foster a safe and vibrant community for all who inhabit and visit our city,” Rawlings said. “We’re hoping this partnership emphasizes the importance we place on communicating with those we serve and responding to constituent concerns in an efficient and public manner.”

With the online and mobile reporting platform, residents can report quality-of-life concerns through service request categories via the Coatesville website, custom mobile applications (iPhone, Android, Blackberry), Facebook App, and SeeClickFix.com. When submitting issues via mobile app, for example, residents can provide locational, descriptive, and photographic information as they see the issue in real time. Once the resident submits an issue, the reporter, Coatesville, and anyone ‘watching’ the area will receive an alert. The town can then acknowledge the service request, route it to the proper department, and update the request—and residents following the issue—once it’s been resolved.

The partnership allows residents to not only report community issues, but also view, comment on, and vote to fix problems submitted by their neighbors. Citizens can even create their own “watch areas” to receive notifications about all issues reported in their community, enabling them to follow the progress of all service requests---not just the ones they report.

“As the years progress, more and more communities are bridging that gap between offline and online engagement through digital tools like SeeClickFix,” said Ben Berkowitz, SeeClickFix CEO. “The City of Coatesville serves as an excellent example of government harnessing these technological advances to connect with citizens and solve real problems in the public space.”

The Coatesville SeeClickFix website can be found here: http://www.coatesville.org/report-an-issue-with-coatesville and residents can download iPhone, Android, and Blackberry apps here: http://www.seeclickfix.com/apps.

About SeeClickFix

SeeClickFix allows citizens anywhere in the world to report and monitor non-emergency community issues ranging from potholes and planted trees to garbage and graffiti. Launched in 2008, it empowers citizens, community groups, media organizations, and governments to work together and improve their neighborhoods. Through mobile web, web, iPhone, Android, and Blackberry apps, the SeeClickFix platform is the most widely-distributed citizen reporting tool in the country. SeeClickFix supports the Open311 standard that promotes improved communication between local municipalities and the citizens they serve. The platform is fun and easy to use for citizens while being inexpensive and easily adaptable for governments. Over 60 percent of issues reported on SeeClickFix are ultimately resolved. For more information or to report an issue, visit www.seeclickfix.com.

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Report Collection Issue Or Request Recycling Bucket With Your Smartphone

Beginning in December, the Atlantic County Utilities Authority (ACUA) is expanding the options available to residents, businesses and visitors alike for requesting services and reporting non-emergency problems.

SeeClickFix allows citizens to report and monitor non-emergency issues, such as a missed recycling pick up. Launched in 2008, SeeClickFix empowers citizens, community groups, media organizations and governments to work together and improve their neighborhoods.

Through the SeeClickFix website and a variety of smartphone apps, the SeeClickFix platform is the most widely distributed citizen reporting tool in the country. The platform is not only fun and easy to use, it also promotes improved communication between citizens and their local governments.

“With this expansive and public platform, residents can directly communicate concerns to the ACUA and more actively participate in resolving issues,” said Rick Dovey, ACUA president. “Through this system, we are improving the way we address customer service issues,” Dovey added.

When submitting issues via mobile app, residents have the ability to provide a detailed description, use their smartphone GPS to accurately locate, and even attach a photo of the issue. A service request is generated and updates on the case are sent automatically to the community about the service request’s progress. With a few clicks, the problem can be on its way to resolution.

SeeClickFix also allows residents to view, comment on, vote to fix and even share on social media, the service requests. They can even create their own “watch areas” to receive notifications about all issues reported in their community, enabling them to follow the progress of all service requests—not just the ones they report.

“SeeClickFix provides a social platform for exchanging information and engaging individuals,” said Dovey. “From Atlantic City to Hammonton and from Port Republic to Corbin City, citizens can become empowered to connect with each other and the ACUA over problems that affect them in very direct ways,” Dovey noted.

Look for SeeClickFix on ACUA’s website and Facebook page in mid-December. Download the mobile apps here.

Quincy Partners with SeeClickFix to Launch Mobile Constituent Service App

Quincy, Mass. (October 12, 2011) - Mayor Thomas Koch announces a new partnership that will increase and expand how Quincy residents can request city services and report non-emergency problems. Powered by SeeClickFix, the place-based mobile and online reporting platform allows residents to document neighborhood concerns and improvements alike, ranging from potholes and graffiti to litter and broken streetlights.

"We are hoping to leverage this comprehensive platform to increase efficiency when responding to service requests while improving the city's infrastructure and quality of life along the way," Koch said. "And, more important, SeeClickFix will help us empower the citizens we serve and push them to actively engage with each other, their neighborhoods, and us."

Currently, residents can submit requests to the Constituent Service system only through the city's website. With this partnership, however, residents will now be able to use their smartphones when participating with local government. The free SeeClickFix app is available on iPhone, Android, and Blackberry platforms.

For residents, this new tool will enable reporting of service items such as potholes and graffiti in real-time. Once the mobile app is downloaded, a resident can use the app to take a photo of the problem, select a service category, and report it to the city. The app records location information via the phone's GPS capabilities.

Another benefit of this partnership is to strengthen the existing ties SeeClickFix had with the City of Quincy. Residents could previously report issues through SeeClickFix on sites such as Boston.com and Patriotledger.com. Prior to this partnership, however, those requests were not formally logged into the city's system. Now, residents can seamlessly use SeeClickFix to report problems in the same way they had been using the constituent service system on the city's website.

“We’re excited to see how Quincy promotes citizen involvement and enacts offline results with our technology,” said Ben Berkowitz, SeeClickFix CEO. “With our online tool and mobile apps, we place the power directly in the hands of the city’s residents and hope this partnership allows them to realize their full potential as citizens.”

Residents are encouraged to download the mobile app on their smartphone; it can also be found by searching for ‘SeeClickFix.' More information is also available via SeeClickFix.com.

SeeClickFix Integrates with Boston Open 311

We have some pretty exciting news, folks! SeeClickFix proudly announces its integration with Boston's work order system through its new Open 311 API. The connection--which went live on Friday--will enable citizens to communicate service requests directly into the city's existing CRM by reporting issues through the SeeClickFix platform:

• Website (Available at SeeClickFix.com/Boston)
• Widgets (Embedded on Boston.com Your Town pages)
• Mobile app (iPhone, Android, Blackberry)
• Facebook App 

Having already been launched in San Francisco and Washington, DC, Open311 refers to a 'standardized technology for location-based collaborative issue tracking,' or an open source data platform for 311 service requests. Through this open model, citizens can instantly provide more information to those responsible and help improve the city's environment along the way. More important, it empowers and engages the public to actively participate in civil society.

From now on, any issue reported through SeeClickFix's online and mobile interface will be fed directly into Boston's existing 311 system. With Open311 implemented, SeeClickFix can fully interact with and connect into the city's work order system. This SeeClickFix-Open311 connection gives Boston residents yet another channel through which they can report non-emergency concerns. With a few clicks, citizens can provide locational, descriptive, and photographic information about quality-of-life issues from potholes and graffiti to damaged signs and sidewalk patches. Once the resident submits an issue, it will  be communicated not only to the city, but also to the citizens it serves. With SeeClickFix's public platform, everyone can be kept informed in real time. The SeeClickFix-Open311 connection would not have been possible without the extraordinary efforts of SeeClickFix cofounder/CSO Kam Lasater.

More information (and official announcement) coming soon!

SeeClickFix Offering Help to Municipalities Facing Hurricane Irene

SEECLICKFIX OFFERING LOCAL GOVERNMENTS FREE SERVICE TO MANAGE INCOMING STORM DAMAGE ISSUES

Digital 311 System Will Lessen Burden on 911 for Non-Emergency Citizen Concerns During Hurricane Irene

New Haven, Conn (August 25, 2011) – In an effort to reduce the burden of non-emergency calls to municipalities affected by Hurricane Irene, online citizen reporting platform SeeClickFix is offering their issue management tools to local governments in the storm's path, at no cost.  Municipalities can use the SeeClickFix dashboard to streamline residents' incoming requests and broaden citizen access to reporting non-emergency issues via web and mobile phone applications. 

The SeeClickFix platform ensures residents in areas affected by the hurricane will have access to reporting non-emergency issues directly to local officials, even if phone lines are affected by the storm. Local governments and citizens can always use SeeClickFix to report and monitor non-emergency issues for free.

“Local governments who use SeeClickFix have an additional channel of communication that will provide emergency managers with more detailed local information to base decisions on during the storm,” said Ben Berkowitz, CEO of SeeClickFix. “We’re happy to offer a stable line of communication for citizens and local governments in need of broader access to non-emergency reporting during this historic storm.”

Over 50 municipalities across the United States currently use SeeClickFix as their front-end citizen reporting tool. Clients in the path of Hurricane Irene are encouraging their residents to use SeeClickFix to report storm damage such as flooding, downed trees, structural damage and other non-emergency issues caused by the dangerous conditions expected this weekend.

Citizens can report storm damage via SeeClickFix.com or through SeeClickFix mobile applications available free for iPhone, Android and Blackberry. Once an issue is submitted, the reporting citizen and the local government will receive email notifications. Local governments using the free dashboard can then acknowledge the request, route it to the appropriate department, and update the issue once it has been resolved. The platform also allows citizens to request and receive real-time updates such as road closures and the availability of supplies. Reports submitted via SeeClickFix are publicly available, allowing important information to be quickly and efficiently disseminated.

Municipalities interested in using SeeClickFix for non-emergency issues in their community related to Hurricane Irene can get started by clicking here, as well as by emailing Irene@seeclickfix.com for more information and assistance.  Staff will be on hand throughout the weekend to provide support.

SeeClickFix is a platform for reporting non-emergency issues. In the event of an emergency, please call 911.

About SeeClickFix

SeeClickFix allows citizens anywhere in the world to report and monitor non-emergency community issues ranging from potholes and planted trees to garbage and graffiti. Launched in 2008, it empowers citizens, community groups, media organizations, and governments to work together and improve their neighborhoods. Through mobile web, web, iPhone, Android, and Blackberry apps, the SeeClickFix platform is the most widely distributed citizen reporting tool in the country. The platform is fun and easy to use for citizens while being inexpensive and easily adaptable for governments. SeeClickFix supports the Open311 standard that promotes improved communication between citizens and their local government. Over 50 percent of issues reported on SeeClickFix are ultimately resolved. For more information or to report an issue, visit www.seeclickfix.com.

Saratoga Springs Considers SeeClickFix Committee

By Jacob Apkon, Superstar SeeClickFix Intern

After seeing an increase in issues reported on SeeClickFix, Saratoga Springs’ Public Safety Commissioner Richard Wirth now wants to establish a committee to address public traffic concerns, consisting of community members, engineers, and public safety representatives (for example, police officers). That way, Wirth and company can better address SeeClickFix issues raised by Saratoga Springs citizens.

Already a SeeClickFix media partner, the Saratogian regularly reports SeeClickFix issues submitted by citizens to the city and, oftentimes, the city official contacted is Wirth. With the establishment of this committee, Wirth hopes he can get rid of this middle step. The committee would check SeeClickFix directly instead of going through the Saratogian. As Wirth states:

It might be beneficial to have their concerns and inquiries forwarded directly to the commissioner of public safety. There is such an influx of these concerns and we want to look into each one because these apply not only to the city, but also to the county and the state because they can involve their roads.

Reported over a year ago and still receiving SeeClickFix activity, Issue #31661-Intersection of Ballston Ave. and Lincoln Ave involves a traffic light request at an intersection one SeeClickFix user felt was unsafe.

Despite receiving 862 views and 49 votes, this issue still persists according to resident--and SeeClickFix user--Nancy Muldoon. Hopefully, Wirth’s new committee will be able to address and close this traffic concern on SeeClickFix (and others like it!)

Swampscott Empowers Residents with New Reporting Tool

Town of Swampscott Announces Partnership with Citizen Reporting Tool

Residents, town officials stay engaged and solve community issues with SeeClickFix

Swampscott, Mass. (July 22, 2011) – The Town of Swampscott announces a new partnership with an online reporting platform that enables residents to submit non-emergency problems and request public services. Powered by SeeClickFix, the place-based reporting platform allows citizens to document neighborhood concerns and improvements alike, ranging from potholes and graffiti to barking dogs and streetlights being out.

“The goal of this partnership is to encourage residents and town officials to stay engaged with what’s happening in our community,” said Town Treasurer / Collector Denise Dembkoski. “We’re hoping to leverage the technology we have – cell phones, iPads, etc. – to not only improve communication between citizens and local government, but to improve our town services overall.”

With the online reporting platform, residents can report quality-of-life concerns directly to the town through custom service request categories via the Town of Swampscott website, SeeClickFix.com, or mobile applications for iPhone, Android and Blackberry. The platform allows citizens to provide additional information about the issue by adding a detailed description or including a photograph in their report. Once someone submits an issue, both the reporter and the town of Swampscott will receive an email notification. The local government can then acknowledge the service request, route it to the proper department, and update the issue page once it’s been resolved. All updates on issues reported through SeeClickFix are displayed publicly, allowing Swampscott to quickly and easily inform citizens of their progress.

“SeeClickFix will empower residents to become an integral part of the identification, prioritization and resolution of quality-of-life issues in Swampscott,” said Dembkoski. “Since the system encourages active participation from both government and citizens to efficiently address community issues, everyone wins. “

In addition to enhanced citizen reporting, Swampscott’s partnership with SeeClickFix also allows residents to view, comment on, and vote to fix problems submitted by others in the community. Citizens can even create their own “watch areas” to receive notifications about issues reported throughout the town or just in their neighborhood, enabling them to follow the progress of all service requests.

“SeeClickFix provides local governments with the tools needed to efficiently and transparently solve community issues, but the fixes come from engaged communities that collaborate to get stuff done,” said Ben Berkowitz, CEO of SeeClickFix. “We’re proud to be partnering with a town as committed to civic engagement as Swampscott and look forward to seeing how our online platform impacts their offline community.”

The SeeClickFix Swampscott website can be found here: http://seeclickfix.com/swampscott and residents can download iPhone, Android, and Blackberry apps here: http://www.seeclickfix.com/apps

About SeeClickFix

SeeClickFix allows citizens anywhere in the world to report and monitor non-emergency community issues ranging from potholes and planted trees to garbage and graffiti. Launched in 2008, it empowers citizens, community groups, media organizations, and governments to work together and improve their neighborhoods. Through mobile web, web, iPhone, Android, and Blackberry apps, the SeeClickFix platform is the most widely-distributed citizen reporting tool in the country. The platform is fun and easy to use for citizens while being inexpensive and easily adaptable for governments. SeeClickFix supports the Open311 standard that promotes improved communication between citizens and their local government. Over 50 percent of issues reported on SeeClickFix are ultimately resolved. For more information or to report an issue, visit www.seeclickfix.com.

Making Our Local Governments Efficient and Effective

Guest post by Thomas Gaudett, Superstar SeeClickFix Intern

As a Government major at Harvard and citizen concerned about my community, it excites me when we as a society come up with new and innovative ways to solve problems that we face collectively. Having been acquainted with SeeClickFix over these last few months, I have discovered such a tool. The services that SeeClickFix offers to citizens and local officials can easily and rightfully be construed as revolutionary. And in this new age of technology and innovation, I have discovered two great ways that SeeClickFix is making the world a better place.

The first thing I discovered was that SeeClickFix assists citizens when reporting problems to local governments, especially issues that might otherwise not be reported. In particular, I have realized the benefits of working to fix pothole issues in local communities across the country. For example, the MTA of the San Francisco Bay Area publishes a pothole report every year. In this report, the MTA makes it clear that there is real cost savings in dealing with potholes up front when they are an issue rather than waiting until the street further deteriorates. The report says that preventive measures made by cities cost about $1 to repair a piece of roadway. It increases to $5 if they wait to perform major rehabilitation. Knowing about these non-emergency issues before they are major problems is a way to reduce costs to enact preventive rather than reactive measures. By encouraging citizens to report potholes and making governments aware of them,  SeeClickFix is helping in this process of trimming local government budgets, which are very tight at the moment.

Upon further research, I have realized that SeeClickFix is indirectly helping to achieve a greener earth. Consider this: cities often set a goal of reducing their carbon footprints. According to a June 2009 Caltrans report Prioritization of Transportation Projects for Economic Stimulus with Respect to Greenhouse Gases, smooth pavement reduces GHG emissions by improving vehicles’ fuel economy while low cost preventive measures lead to fewer greenhouse gas emissions. This is due to the need to produce less asphalt or other paving materials, and the need for fewer truck trips to transport materials to and from the worksite. By documenting and ultimately helping resolve street-related issues in a timely fashion, SeeClickFix is working with communities to create a greener earth.

Every day, the SeeClickFix community is realizing the benefits of the services it provides citizens and local governments. These are just two more to add to the list. This certainly encourages all of us to go out and report issues using the SeeClickFix mobile apps. Improving our communities never felt so good!

Stonington Will Use SeeClickFix to Address Residents’ Concerns

First Selectman Announces Partnership with New Citizen Reporting Tool

Town of Stonington Will Use SeeClickFix to Address Residents’ Concerns

Stonington, Conn. (June 23, 2011) – Today, First Selectman Edward Haberek, Jr. announces a new partnership with an online reporting platform that will enable Stonington residents to submit non-emergency problems and request city services. Powered by SeeClickFix, the place-based reporting platform allows residents to document neighborhood concerns and improvements alike, ranging from potholes and graffiti to tree requests and community murals.

“Through this public forum, we’re hoping to simultaneously engage and empower our residents to assist us with improving the community,” Haberek said. “We like the idea of connecting government with the governed, and the governed with each other.”

With the online reporting platform, residents can report quality-of-life concerns through custom service request categories via SeeClickFix.com, Facebook app, or mobile application, and provide additional information about the issue through the description or image options. Once someone submits an issue, the reporter and the town of Stonington will receive email notifications. The local government can then acknowledge the service request, route it to the proper department, and update the issue page once it’s been resolved.

“SeeClickFix is one way that we can improve our communication with the people we serve while also addressing issues in a timely fashion as they arise,” said Joe Bragaw, director of public works. “By allowing the public to email us issues with pictures, we can quickly assess the priority of the issues and by using this program, we can either ask for additional information and/or send out an email telling the person that the issue has been resolved.”

The partnership allows residents to not only report community issues, but also view, comment on, and vote to fix problems submitted by others. Citizens can even create their own “watch areas” to receive notifications about issues reported throughout the town or just in their neighborhood, enabling them to follow the progress of all service requests.

“Since Gutenberg’s printing press, technology has been used to connect citizens with their government. SeeClickFix extends this tradition by enabling citizens to harness the power of the open web,” said Ben Berkowitz, SeeClickFix CEO. “We’re excited to see how Stonington uses our online technology to empower its residents to take care of their offline community.”

The SeeClickFix Stonington website can be found here: http://seeclickfix.com/stonington and residents can download iPhone, Android, and Blackberry apps here: http://www.seeclickfix.com/apps

About SeeClickFix

SeeClickFix allows citizens anywhere in the world to report and monitor non-emergency community issues ranging from potholes and planted trees to garbage and graffiti. Launched in 2008, it empowers citizens, community groups, media organizations, and governments to work together and improve their neighborhoods. Through mobile web, web, iPhone, Android, and Blackberry apps, the SeeClickFix platform is the most widely-distributed citizen reporting tool in the country. The platform is fun and easy to use for citizens while being inexpensive and easily adaptable for governments. Over 40 percent of issues reported on SeeClickFix are ultimately resolved. For more information or to report an issue, visit www.seeclickfix.com.

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Hartford Goes Hi-Tech With Resident Reporting Tool

HARTFORD GOES HI-TECH WITH RESIDENT REPORTING TOOL

311 UTILIZING SeeClickFix TO FURTHER ADDRESS QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS

---NEWS AND COMMUNITY RELEASE---

(June 7, 2011) – Today, Mayor Pedro E. Segarra announced a new partnership to increase and expand how Hartford residents can request city services and report non-emergency problems. Powered by SeeClickFix, the place-based reporting platform allows residents to document neighborhood concerns and improvements alike, ranging from potholes and graffiti to tree requests and speeding.

“This new partnership will engage and empower all of our residents to actively participate in improving the quality of life in our neighborhoods,” said Mayor Segarra. “With its online tool and mobile apps, SeeClickFix places the power directly in the hands of the people who live, work, and visit our City.”

Last month, City Council Minority Leader Luis Cotto invited city residents to start reporting quality of life issues via SeeClickFix.com and its mobile apps.

“311 is great for internal routing of work orders and intra-governmental accountability, but its user interface is somewhat opaque to residents,” Cotto said. “By using SeeClickFix, residents can see what others have identified as problems and interact to help solve quality of life and infrastructure problems in their neighborhoods.”

With the online reporting platform, residents and visitors alike can report quality-of-life concerns through custom service request categories via SeeClickFix.com, Facebook, or mobile application, and provide additional information about the problem through the in-depth description or image options. Once someone submits an issue, the reporter and Hartford 311 Call Center will receive email notifications. Hartford 311 will then acknowledge the service request, route it to the proper department, and update the issue page once it’s been resolved.

“SeeClickFix provides residents and our 311 constituent representatives with an efficient, transparent, and user-friendly forum where everyone can be kept informed about challenges (and projects completed) in their community,” said Andy Jaffee, Director of Emergency Services and Telecommunications which oversees the 311 Call Center. “It will not only improve the lines of communication between 311 and the people it serves, but also help improve our city services overall.”

The partnership allows individuals to not only report community issues, but also view, comment on, and vote to fix problems submitted by others. Citizens can even create their own “watch areas” to receive notifications about issues reported throughout the entire city or just in their neighborhood, enabling individuals to follow the progress of all service requests.

“Being based in Connecticut, we’re extremely excited to now count the city of Hartford among our government partners,” said Ben Berkowitz, SeeClickFix CEO. “The Internet continues to prove itself as a tool for civic empowerment. With our technology, we hope Hartford residents will actively engage with one another and their local government online to enact change offline.”

The SeeClickFix Hartford website can be found here: http://www.seeclickfix.com/hartford.
Residents can download iPhone, Android, and Blackberry apps here: http://www.seeclickfix.com/apps.

About SeeClickFix


SeeClickFix allows citizens anywhere in the world to report and monitor non-emergency community issues ranging from potholes and planted trees to garbage and graffiti. Launched in 2008, it empowers citizens, community groups, media organizations, and governments to work together and improve their neighborhoods. Through mobile web, web, iPhone, Android, and Blackberry apps, the SeeClickFix platform is the most widely-distributed citizen reporting tool in the country. The platform is fun and easy to use for citizens while being inexpensive and easily adaptable for governments. Over 40 percent of issues reported on SeeClickFix are ultimately resolved. For more information or to report an issue, visit www.seeclickfix.com.

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Making Waves in the Windy City

Back in February, James Cappleman praised the ability of SeeClickFix to improve accountability and transparency in Chicago during his campaign for alderman of the 46th Ward. This Monday, Cappleman will be sworn into office and SeeClickFix looks forward to seeing how he will use our technology to improve the quality of life for residents in the Windy City. Some municipal officials of Chi-Town, however, have already taken cue from the soon-to-be alderman.

Submitted just one day ago, Issue # 100838 - Water main work but hasn't been worked on in weeks deals with delayed construction on the water main at the Wabash and Cullerton intersection. An anonymous user explained:

They have dug up the road and it is covered with metal plates where the hole is. However, there has been no work done here in several weeks. In addition, there is construction material that has been on the street (it is blocked off by barricades, but it has just been sitting there). Is this work ever going to be finished?

Just one hour ago, Tom LaPorte from the Department of Water Management responded to the citizen's inquiry:

We started a water main job with a couple of test holes, but then learned that the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) was resurfacing a nearby street as part of an unrelated project. Rather than further crowd the neighborhood, we pulled off the job and sent our crew elsewhere until CDOT could finish.

LaPorte mentioned that CDOT's work will be completed soon and then his department can continue working on the water main project. With the project expected to last eight weeks, LaPorte and company will distribute an informational packet and letter to neighbors explaining the situation. He ended his response by apologizing for any confusion and thanking the resident for being understanding.

Another Chicago resident and SeeClickFix user Ali documented the poor road conditions of Wood Street between Division and Wicker Park Ave fourteen days ago (Issue #98125 - Wood Street is a mess). Three days later, Matt Bailey, the director of communications for Alderman Joe Moreno, addressed the situation:

As part of completing the water main installation done on 1200 N. Wood, the street will be resurfaced this month.

With Cappleman starting work soon, we're hoping the city becomes one step closer to utilizing SeeClickFix to connect with the citizens it serves.

Empowering Residents with One Click

Last Thursday, Luis Cotto invited his constituents to start reporting quality of life issues via the SeeClickFix smartphone applications. As minority leader of the Hartford City Council, Cotto believes SeeClickFix serves as a transparent and user-friendly forum in which residents can voice concerns:

311 is great for internal routing of work orders and intragovernmental accountability, but its user interface is somewhat opaque to residents. Using SeeClickFix, residents can see what others have identified as problems and interact to help solve quality of life and infrastructure problems in their neighborhoods. Also, it empowers pedestrians to report problems as they see them in real time. And best of all, this tool is free.

The SeeClickFix team would like to thank Cotto for promoting not only our reporting platform, but also technology as means of placing power back in the hands of citizens!

Using SeeClickFix on the Campaign Trail

With 166 days until the primary election, New Haven resident Doug Hausladen recently launched his campaign website for municipal office. And guess what's included as part of his platform? As a proud Ward 7 resident, Doug hopes to improve his community by encouraging his neighbors to report issues via SeeClickFix and even dedicates an entire section of his website to it.

Before setting his eyes on public office, Doug ran his own small business and served as chairman of a local community management team where he collaborated with local residents and small business owners alike. Through this work, he discovered a community 'overflowing with potential, however much of this potential has remained untapped due to numerous obstructions.' Doug wants to help his community prosper by removing these obstructions. The SeeClickFix team looks forward to following Doug (and his use of our site) on the campaign trail!

To learn more about Doug and his campaign, check out the campaign website, Facebook page, and Twitter account.

Promoting Accountability in Saugus

(Report issues in Saugus here)

A few weeks ago, the town of Saugus, Massachusetts reached out to us about implementing SeeClickFix Plus in their community. This morning, MIS Director Michael Donovan announced Saugus' adoption of our platform which allows citizens to report issues in their neighborhoods via the town website, mobile apps, or our main website.

Andrew Bisignani, the town manager, said he expects positive reactions from citizens in a press release issued earlier today:

This reporting tool holds our government accountable to take care of quality-of-life issues that affect our citizens, and it holds the people accountable to take part in their communities. It's a win for everyone.

We couldn't be more excited about adding Saugus to our growing list of government partnerships. We look forward to seeing how the town improves its community using just one click!

Read the entire press release here.

From pedestrian safety to a safer community - Wooster Square

This Saturday evening Wooster Square neighborhood in New Haven celebrated the city's first solar street lights. On the Court Street bridge neighbors showed up to thank the city, SeeClickFix and President Obama for the added sense of security provided to the gateway of their neighborhood.

From complaining to resolution this is the story of how a neighborhood dramtically improved public safety in the past 1 1/2 years.

Wooster Square started documenting pedestrian concerns on SeeClickFix two years ago. Collectively lobbying for pedestrian in road signage they learned to work together to encourage the city to improve pedestrian safety.

Soon the economy started to dive and street crime such as muggings in the neighborhood started to pick-up. The bridge hosting this celebration was the most frequent location of the muggings and also the access point to the neighborhood. Neighbors met on SeeClickFix around the same concerns and started a neighborhood group to address the concerns. They then used SeeClickFix to lobby the private apartment buildings for lighting as well as temporary lighting from the City.

The final resolution came when the neighborhood group led by Kari Brady printed out the SeeClickFix issues and petition and walked them into City Hall. A promise to place solar lights on the bridge was realized and the rest is history.

There has not been a mugging in the area in over 9 months and the permanent solar lights are now placed on the bridge.

Here's to stronger communities stymied by citizens that were willing to speak-up and unite for their own safety. Here's to a web platform that can enable that engagement and that participation in a meaningful way. Here's to a city that has learned to respond to the needs of its citizens and enable their participation in defining the public space.

Cheers!

(Photos are courtesy of the New Haven Independent) Read about the Party in this New Haven Independent Article:
http://newhavenindependent.org/index.php/archives/entry/and_wooster_square_said_let_there_be_light_and_there_was/id_29649

Alpharetta Gets SeeClickFix

SeeClickFix is proud to partner with the City of Alpharetta, GA. Alpharetta recently signed up for a SeeClickFix Plus account and posted a widget on its website for easy access to citizens.

“The cost to adopt SeeClickFix is much less than we would have experienced by building an application from scratch,” explained James Drinkard, Alpharetta’s Assistant City Administrator in a press release on the city's website. “More importantly, the company does not sell or share the personal information of SeeClickFix users, and the application has been proven by use in other communities.”

Citing the opportunity for increased efficiency, Alpharetta's Mayor Arthur Letchas is also excited to start using with SeeClickFix.

“When an issue was reported using our old Citizens In Action Form there was usually not enough information included for us to properly respond to the complaint," said Mayor Letchas. The city would have to deploy a city employee to check out the problem on site.

However, "Using GPS technology and enabling the citizen to include a photograph when they submit the report should allow us in most cases to eliminate that middle man and simply dispatch appropriate personnel to the site,” said that mayor.

We are excited to work with Alpharetta to bring residents there the best possible service and new opportunities for communicating their needs.

Mr. Berkowitz Goes to City Hall

Pizza isn't the only data set that New Haveners can teach New Yorkers how to perfect. Yesterday morning, New York City Council listened to Ben Berkowitz offer some tips about how New York should proceed with opening up its municipal data, to increase government accountability and encourage entrepreneurship.

"Set aggressive deadlines. It's time for this to happen," Ben told the Committee for Technology and a crowd of 50 or so gathered in a hearing room on lower Broadway. Ben stressed the importance of developing the "write side" as well as the "read side" of the city's data systems. Third parties like SeeClickFix need to be able to add to the city's databases, as well as draw from it. "It's not just listening: it's speaking up and communicating," said Ben.

While other municipalities like Washington, DC and San Francisco have positioned themselves at the forefront of open data practices by transitioning to an Open311 API, New York City lags behind. A new bill, Introduction 029-2010 by Council Member Gale Brewer, will push all city departments to open up their data within the next few years. Yesterday's committee hearing took testimony from entrepreneurs, politicians, administrators, and educators in reference to the proposed bill.

Brewer said that she expects that "having this bill would help 311 operators answer some of their calls." SeeClickFix hopes so too. More open data practices on NYC's end would help SeeClickFix take the burden off of call centers by directing service requests to the proper authorities. Closed data policies make it harder for SeeClickFix to work with existing 311 data and service request channels.

Check out the full content of the proposed bill below. Also, see yesterday's blog post to read SeeClickFix's written testimony as submitted to the city council.

Int. 029-2010 Details

Kudos to North Hempstead!

The Town of North Hempstead, NY has been responding quietly to its residents' SeeClickFix requests for 5 months now. With more than 220,000 residents, The Long Island "town" is as big as a small sized city (comparable to Orlando, FL or Baton Rouge, LA). But politically and aesthetically, the town's an amalgamation of 30 villages and 19 hamlets with a history of independent representation.

The idiosyncrasies of Long Island's Town/ Village system can make alerting the proper authority tricky on our end. If a user reports a problem with a road in Plandome Manor, a village within the town of North Hempstead, who is responsible? The village or the town?

Frankly, we dunno. We're still working these issues out as we expand into new communities. But while many local governments would abdicate responsibility altogether after receiving a SCF report outside of their jurisdiction, employees from the Town of North Hempstead have been helpful enough to report theses issues to the village authorities themselves.

They genuinely care about getting things fixed. Thanks!