LIU'S 311+

LIU LAUNCHES INNOVATIVE 'NYC 311+' APP

App Allows New Yorkers to View 311 Requests on Interactive Maps and Write Reviews for Subways, Playgrounds, and Libraries

On Friday, New York City Comptroller John C. Liu launched a new "socially connected" app, NYC 311+, which represents the next generation of civic mobile apps. NYC 311+ will not only allow New Yorkers to report non-emergency service requests to the City's 311 system for problems such as potholes and graffiti, it will also allow residents to write reviews evaluating the condition of government services. Additionally, NYC 311+ will help foster a civic-minded community by making all requests and reviews public, viewable on an interactive map, and sharable on Twitter and Facebook.

"New Yorkers are a passionate, opinionated bunch, and 'NYC 311+' is a great way to connect people so they can work to improve their neighborhoods together,' said Comptroller Liu. "This app will take communicating with government to a whole new level."

While the app leverages the City's 311 open system architecture, it includes significantly more features and service request options than the current, English-only "NYC 311" app. Added features include full functionality in 17 different languages, push notifications for request status updates, and the ability to comment on requests and show support by voting "thumbs up."

NYC 311+ also invites New Yorkers to add their voice to the City's policy-making process by completing brief surveys about the condition of subway platforms, playgrounds, and libraries in their neighborhoods. These reviews will be instantly displayed, and the app will allow users to propose new ways to improve City services. This information will then be sent to the relevant agency or authority.

"NYC 311+ moves away from the 'black hole' feeling of interacting with 311 toward a more participatory and transparent user experience," said Ari Hoffnung, Deputy Comptroller of Budget & Public Affairs. "The app is not only a tool for New Yorkers to report complaints and 'kvetch,' but an innovative and user-friendly platform to offer their own ideas on how their neighborhood's civic infrastructure – like subway platforms, playgrounds, and libraries – could be improved."

The Comptroller's Office collaborated with NYPIRG's Straphanger's Campaign and other advocacy groups to develop the featured surveys.

The application represents another important milestone in Comptroller Liu's efforts to leverage technology to make City government more transparent and responsive to the public. Over the past three years, the Comptroller's Office has launched a number of innovative websites, including Checkbook NYC, an online transparency tool that for the first time placed the City's $70 billion of spending in the public domain, and The People's Budget NYC, a crowd-sourcing tool to engage the public in the New York City budget process.

"NYC 311+ is a great tool that will make interacting with government more transparent and user-friendly. As a strong proponent of open government data, I support this tool as a perfect example of how technology and government services should intersect," said Council Member Gale A. Brewer. "Apps like 311+ will allow for real-time updates on city services, and give agencies insight into where the public sees room for improvement. I applaud Comptroller Liu for his continued commitment to transparency and technology, and look forward to seeing the results of this app."

"With the 311+ app, the New York City Comptroller demonstrates that 21^st-century city government can and will work directly with its residents as partners to make the city safer and work better," said Andrew Rasiej, Founder of Personal Democracy Media and Chairman of New York Tech Meetup. "Mobile apps like 311+ prove that citizens can now expect more than just E-government. They can participate in We-Government."

"With his new app NYC 311+, Comptroller John Liu has greatly expanded the ability of New Yorkers to understand and interact with their local government," said Gene Russianoff, senior attorney for NYPIRG.

"Comptroller Liu's 311+ is showing the way towards exactly the kind of public technology that NYC should be developing," said John Kaehny, Executive Director of Reinvent Albany. "311+ is a big step towards tying together technology and data in a way that makes life easier for the average New Yorker, and that will vastly increase agency accountability and ultimately, transform how NYC delivers public services."

"Citizens Defending Libraries spends lots of time talking with community members about their libraries," said Michael D. D. White of Citizens Defending Libraries. "Unfortunately, we have learned that while families and users of libraries have a lot of smart thoughts about the services they receive, too often they are not heard. This tool will help library users have their say and learn about these valuable community assets."

The Comptroller's Office partnered with PublicStuff, a NYC-based civic engagement platform, to develop the system. PublicStuff has helped local governments across America turn civic inquiries into tangible community improvements by connecting people directly to their City representatives.

In response to Comptroller Liu's preference for open-source development, PublicStuff has agreed to make all of the custom code developed for the NYC 311+ app available to other governments and developers at no cost. The code will be made available later this month on GitHub.com.

"Releasing NYC 311+ in our hometown is a major step toward our goal of helping cities interact with residents through smarter and more efficient communication tools," said PublicStuff Founder Lily Liu (no relation to the Comptroller). "We are thrilled to be partnering with an agency that is open to public feedback and willing to make all of the data available to the public. This is a huge step in the right direction."

The NYC 311+ app can be downloaded for free at the iPhone and Android stores. The user-friendly website NYC311Plus.com was launched to compliment the NYC 311+ app. The site, which also leverages the PublicStuff platform, features all of the functionality of the mobile app for desktop users.