Stone Studio

During Bloomberg’s last two administrations he has spearheaded some very bold initiatives. From the Smoke-Free Air Act of 2008, which at the time was pretty well blasted as a horrible idea but has since made bars, restaurants and offices much more palatable to be in for non-smokers and smokers alike to the GreeNYC Initiative which has a target of reducing carbon emissions in NYC by 30% by 2030.

Like him or not, Bloomberg is not afraid to, at times, swim against the current and support legislation that may be unpopular to a small segment of the population but has or will provide a better quality of life for many, many others.

One very cool program that Mayor Bloomberg is responsible is for is 311. Basically you can call 311 for any non-emergency related question about NYC. Find out whether or not alternate side parking has been suspended, what day your trash pickup is on, report stray cats, annoyingly loud neighbors, literally anything. If they don’t know the answer they will 9/10 times be able to connect you to the dept. or agency that you need to speak to find the answer you need or report the problem you are concerned about.

Now, this is all accessible via Twitter.

311NYC is using Twitter

311 Mission 311 is New York City’s online Web site and phone number for government information and non-emergency services. Whether you’re a resident, business owner, or visitor, all the resources of New York City are just a phone call away. 311’s mission is to: Provide the public with quick, easy access to all New York City government services and information while maintaining the highest possible level of customer service. Help agencies improve service delivery by allowing them to focus on their core missions and manage their workload efficiently. Provide insight into ways to improve City government through accurate, consistent measurement and analysis of service delivery Citywide.

Features of 311 311 Online provides you with information and access to New York City government services. The same information and assistance you currently receive by calling 311 is now easily available at 311 Online. Obtain information, report a problem and request services all through the click of a mouse. You can also link to additional online resources and check the status of your Service Request (e.g., complaints, problems and cases). Check Service Request Status 311 Online allows you to check the status of existing Service Requests. It may take up to 24 hours for new Service Requests to be available and for updates to be reflected. Service Request data is available for 365 days from the date you submitted the request. Check Service Request Status Health and Human Services Online Directory 311’s Online Provider Directory helps connect you to community based organizations that provide Health and Human Services in New York City. Use the Directory to search for information by ZIP code, borough, service category, or organization name. Go to the Health and Human Services Online Directory 311 is still available by phone. All calls to 311 are answered by a 311 Call Center Representative, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Assistance is available in over 170 languages. 311 Call Center Representatives use a state-of-the-art database to provide information about City government services. 311 works closely with other City agencies to make sure the information in its database is correct and up to date. In April 2008, Mayor Bloomberg announced the expansion of 311 to include human service referrals, creating the nation’s largest social service information and referral center. Local Law 47 Local Law 47 of 2005 requires the Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications (DoITT) to issue monthly reports to the City Council, the Public Advocate, Community Boards, and the public about data collected on calls made to 311.

In the last two reports on the State of the Twittersphere (pdf) these locations were listed as some of the top locations of Twitter users: “New York”, “New York, NY”, “NYC”, “new york city” and “Brooklyn (represent!)”. That information combined with the fact that at least 35% of all Twitter users live in urban areas, Twitter becomes the perfect storm for NYC 311.

Edited by Stone Studio, original post was from Here