By Alexandra Mendoza
Now it is easier than ever to request having potholes and other issues fixed in your neighborhood.
This week, the City of San Diego launched an app called Get It Done San Diego, where you can report problems and request roadway repairs in a matter of minutes.
Just days into the app being operational, dozens of reports have already been filed. Although most have had to do with potholes, graffiti, sidewalk repairs, abandoned vehicles, and failures to pick up trash, other issues have also been reported.
To submit a complaint, all you have to do is input the location and a picture depicting the issue. App users will also be able to monitor progress regarding their complaint.
The idea is to improve the efficiency of public works workers and to offer residents a simpler way to report issues.
“Our City government should be just as innovative as the people we serve, and it has always been our goal to improve customer service,” stated San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer in a press release.
“If we have mobile apps that can check e-mail, check the weather, and check-in to our flights, we should have a mobile app that helps residents check on street repairs,” Mayor Faulconer added.
App users can choose from 20 non-emergency issues, including public lighting, signage, floods, traffic lights, parking meters, clean-ups, dead animals, and fallen trees, among others.
In a survey done by the City, close to 83 percent of respondents indicated that they would rather not have to call City agencies in order to report a problem. Out of the survey group, 50 percent of participants indicated they would prefer doing so through a mobile app.
According to the City, the technology, being launched as a pilot project, is intended to provide residents an easier way to report issues at any time of day and anonymously.
Once the user has submitted the picture, City workers will trace the location using GPS, which will allow them to respond to the site more quickly.
Get It Done San Diego is a free app and is available for both the iPhone and Android systems.