This is totally old news -- from June 20th, to be precise. But I missed it. New York City's 311 call center -- a number you can call for everything from reporting a pothole to asking a question about how to pay your taxes -- celebrated its 50 millionth call.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg held a press conference to trumpet the milestone, and you can watch the video here.
311 has really transformed a lot of the city's services. From the citizens' perspective, they've gone from 11 pages of government phone numbers in the phone book to one single, easy-to-remember, three-digit number.
And the city's using the system in a variety of great ways. It's reducing the amount of calls to 911 call centers, speeding the time it takes to solve citizens' problems, and helping the city decide where it needs to allocate resources.
And it's even being expanded right now.
A panel of NYC managers, some involved directly with 311 and some not, talked about the system at the conference this afternoon.
Zach Patton -- Executive Editor. Zach has written about a range of topics, including social policy issues and urban planning and design. Originally from Tennessee, he joined GOVERNING as a staff writer in 2004. He received the 2011 Jesse H. Neal Award for Outstanding Journalism
E-mail: zpatton@governing.com 
Written and compiled by staff writers and editors, GOVERNING View is an on-the-ground, and sometimes behind-the-scenes, look at the topics we're covering in print and online. From notes on what's up in statehouses, county courthouses and city halls, to encounters with people, places and things, GOVERNING View is a window into the side of state and local government you don't always see.
Twitter
Facebook
LinkedIn
YouTube
Flickr
RSS
© 2011 e.Republic, Inc. All Rights reserved. |