Dallas Residents Introduced to New App

Dallas residents have a new tool at their disposal: one that could also double as a method to help better improve the city.

The Dallas Morning News reports that the city has launched the 311 smartphone app, which allows individuals with a smartphone to report potholes, graffiti and other violations to the appropriate authorities.

This initiative has been underway for several years as Dallas city council members and residents have been pressuring City Hall to create a way for people to quickly and conveniently report these infractions without plugging up traditional 911 or police lines.

The news source reports that Mayor Mike Rawlings unveiled the new 311 app on Sept. 10 and warned the city staff to prepare themselves.

“The mayor is on the loose, and you’re going to be seeing everything I’m seeing,” he said, according to the news source.

The app is an extension of the city’s 311 line that fields similar complaints as well as those related to illegal dumping and other irritants that come with living in the city. The mayor cited as many as 400,000 311 complaints a year, and that number should spike with the availability of this new app.

The news source states that the city paid a $60,000 software fee and $10,000 annual maintenance fee for a third party to create the app, but if it leads to more of the residents’ issues getting resolved in a timelier manner, it should be money well spent.

Living in Dallas is a concept that is gaining steam with the city’s population, and home sales, shooting through the roof. Knowing that the city is listening to its residents and constantly coming up with solutions to appease their issues is comforting for not only those who currently live in the city but those who are thinking about it.

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