NYC 311

After years of updates aimed at making the app more user-friendly, submitting a request has become much easier. However, I've noticed that even when I submit a request, sometimes the team doesn’t actually come to check the situation. For example, I've made multiple requests regarding dirty sidewalks, but they keep closing them, stating there’s nothing there. I walk by these areas daily, and the issues remain, so it’s confusing how they can simply close these requests and move on. I’m not sure why we continue to submit issues when they’re being “solved” or “closed” without any real resolution to the problems. Not sure why we’re submitting things when there’s no solutions to these things. Makes the app kind of redundant.

But now all of a sudden the NYC 311 is pretty much useless with most topics of complaints (like streetlight outages) in the app now lead to the 311 or the DOT website instead of making a complaint thru the app which makes absolutely zero sense! We used to make streetlight outage complaints in the app, now we have to use DOTs terrible streetlight form which takes forever to fill out because it’s so buggy and has its own issues. It’s also so annoying to see 311 complaints being closed out not even a few minutes after I submitted the complaint with no actual action being done to fix the problem. For instance, I made a 311 report about a homeless person in front of the Verizon store in Manhattan for days and he might need assistance, right? Well, I put in so many details like the correct address, location details and described the individual and left my contact info. A few minutes later while still being in the vicinity of this individual, the 311 request gets closed, saying that “the mobile outreach team offered services to the individual, but he did not accept assistance” like how is this even possible? No one even showed up for assistance, it just gets closed out. I think this is the exact reason why these issues don’t get addressed properly in this city because the 311 service/app simply just doesn’t work, some sort of disconnect somewhere, like either the proper city agencies are ignoring these 311 requests, or these 311 requests are simply not going thru correctly somehow.

Needs bulk export function for tickets filed. Needs to retain access to photos submitted with ticket in the ticket log. Request types that link out to the web form have a bug where the button to accept the address input on the pop up is to low down on the screen to press. Lots of scrolling up and down required to get the browser to hide browser UI elements that block this webpage element. Needs to be located to the right of the address input bar or between that and the map image. Needs accountability from city to produce photographic evidence of response, many illegal postings tickets filed are responded as complete but when I visit the complaint location to check, the sign was not removed. When police respond "no action required" to paper plate or other illegal parking complaints the police need to provide more details as to why the ticket was closed in this way when photographic, geotagged evidence is provided of a prima facie violation.