Abstract

Improving 311 Services through GIS
Track: Public Works
Authors: Steve Reneker

In 2009, the City of Riverside implemented a new 311 system for processing non-emergency service requests. Whether reporting a water leak or calling to schedule a bulky item pickup, most service requests have a location, typically an address. Using a master address database (MAD), addresses can now be validated, mapped, and linked to a variety of spatial and non-spatial datasets such as wards, neighborhoods, police districts, utility infrastructure, parcel owner information, and customer billing information. This GIS-centric solution can provide a broader range of information and services to residents through one centralized location, while processing, tracking, and reporting service requests more quickly and effectively. Overall, the system has been highly successful and has allowed the City to process 160,000 service requests each year and reduce the average response time from 11 days to 2.5 days.