Philly.com has linked to an online service called See Click Fix that purports to help public works departments identify and quickly repair potholes and other road hazards.
See Click Fix doesn't have to be just for automobile drivers. As alert and observant road users, cyclists can contribute to "See Click Fix" by identifying the details that car drivers can't/don't/won't observe - poor pavement, dangerous debris, speeding and reckless driving problem areas, etc.
If "See Click Fix" really is linked in with public works departments and other decision makers, then we can use this as a powerful tool to show cyclists as equal road users who can be useful "eyes and ears" for those who are responsible for providing safe roads for all users.
Philly's 311 response service has been issuing work orders based on Pothole Tracker complaints. Let's try to fill the Philly-area "See Click Fix" map with the issues that concern us as cyclists and see if we can create more awareness of our needs at the same time.
You can add bike related problems directly by double clicking on this map.
Submitted By Kyle Gradinger
This is the legacy blog of the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia. It is an archive of posts from 2003 to 2014. Making your ride better since 1972. https://www.bicyclecoalition.org
4 comments:
Thanks for the mention. Your readers can directly access the Philadelphia area map on Philly.com by visiting Philly Reports Pothole Tracker which is the same link the 3-1-1 is using to access reported locations.
Yoni and Philly.Com have done a great job getting their readers to report on potholes.
Philly 311 has also been one of the most responsive government entities to date on SeeClickFix.
A bike and pedestrian infrastructure story might garner the same attention. Seems like it would be a really effective use of the SeeClickFix tool that's embedded in Philly.com.
As the Bike Coalition you might also create a watch area for with cycling related keywords so that you can stay alert to what's on cyclist minds on seeclickfix. You can do this at: http://www.seeclickfix.com/fixers
This site works really well in New Haven. Potholes and graffiti are sometimes fixed within hours.
See http://www.designnewhaven.com/2009/03/seeclickfix-transportation-safety.html for an example of how it can be used for bike/ped advocacy. That seeclickfix "ticket" has been viewed by about 1,000 people.
Reporting a pothole at the website http://potholes.phila.gov is actually a much more direct way of getting your report to the people that fix them.
As explained on the website, if a pothole is reported before 2pm, it will be repaired by the end of the next business day. The site will also let you know if the road is maintained by the State (in which case the State is responsible for repair and the 1 day response does not apply), and explains how to recognize other types of street defects that can take longer to repair.
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