This crossed my desk the other day and I thought it was interesting enough to pass along. It’s a website called FixMyStreet.ca.
Inspired by a similar site by in the UK by a group called MySociety, FixMyStreet.ca allows you to report problems in your neighbourhood, such as potholes, graffiti, missing streetlights, or dangerous pathways. FixMyStreet.ca will post the problem on our website, and email the report to Ottawa 311 on your behalf. You may also browse through reports that other people have submitted, and subscribe to ones you would like updates on.
We believe that making civic problem reports public and visible is a valuable communications tool for both the City of Ottawa and its citizens. Providing the ability to browse problems that have been reported avoids having many people report the same issue individually. Further,
the site keeps public records of when reports were filed, and when they were fixed, giving citizens access to richer information about their community and municipal council.
I think it could be a useful tool if (a) people start using it (b) the City of Ottawa pays attention. What say you?
