Tuscaloosa is introducing an easier way to request help. The new 311 app launches Wednesday and is a non-emergency request center for residents. Citizens in the Druid City can directly contact City Hall through submitting city service requests. This includes requests for issues such as potholes or a broken water meter. Portia McBride works with the 311 Call Center. She said residents can use the app for any service issue in the city.
“It’s an easy way to get help,” said McBride. “I think we all have been on the other end where we have not known who to turn to or what to access for certain types of assistance and this kind of serves as a central hub.”
The Druid City isn’t the only municipality that has a 311 mobile phone app. The website StateTech lists ten cities have deployed 311 iPhone apps of their own. The group includes Boston, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, and New York City, among others. The website reports that the city of Riverside, California get more than thirty thousand reports a month on its 311 app from the community’s population of over three hundred thousand. McBride says the new Tuscaloosa 311 app will be available on March 1st to download on Apple IOS or Android devices.
“We’ve made it easier for them to access requests and issues that they might need in the app,” she said. “We cut down our categories from 66 to 22. That way what they need will be in a more condensed list and they will able to locate help more quickly and easily.”
Tuscaloosa 311 is the non-emergency request center for City of Tuscaloosa services. Requests can be submitted by dialing 311 within City limits or calling 205-248-5311 outside of City limits.
