Every day Boston receives hundreds of reports of abandoned bikes, overflowing trash, burnt out streetlights and potholes. On Tuesday, Mayor Martin J. Walsh launched an umbrella 311 system to better effectively receive and respond to citizen requests.
Mayor Walsh announced the new system as “a way to promote more civic engagement” and to “engage the public more.”
Under the Boston 311 system, residents of Boston can file complaints on several different platforms, including the mobile app (previously known at Citizens Connect), Bostong.gov/311, and Twitter @BOS311. They can also continue to complain the old-fashioned way calling 3-1-1.
Each week, the Mayor’s 24-Hour Hotline receives an average 5,762 calls — more during severe weather episodes like last February’s storm cycle, when calls reached into the hundred thousands.
“What’s ironic about the phone calls is that I always assumed they came from the Roxbury, Dorchester, Mattapan area,” said Mayor Walsh. “But they really come from neighborhoods like Beacon Hill.”
Mayor Walsh stated that the online and mobile apps would make it easier for residents to better connect with the City. This year alone, 39 percent of requests have been submitted online and through the mobile app.
Mayor Walsh hopes that problems in the City to do not go ignored and encourages residents to use 311 to report problems to City Hall, “but if you happen to see the Big Foot, you might want to call 911.”
