The service was initially launched to provide an easy way for New Yorkers to report issues or get information about services. Since its launch, according to the State of NYC311 report, there have been over 525 million contacts. During the first year of service, the average number of contacts per day was 18,133; this year, the average is 98,028 contacts per day.
The 311 service was reimagined during the COVID-19 pandemic by many government agencies looking to better serve constituents. In 2022, NYC Mayor Eric Adams signed an executive order to consolidate all city technology agencies under the new Office of Technology and Innovation, which included NYC311.
“As a part of the new Office of Technology and Innovation, NYC311 has laid much of the foundation for how the city can use technology to meet New Yorkers where they are,” said New York City Chief Technology Officer Matthew Fraser in the announcement.
Initially, the service only allowed for phone calls, but has evolved to take questions and comments through a range of additional channels, including a mobile app, chat support, text, social media and a website, and the service provides support in 175 languages.
The report presents insights into customer requests to give the city a better understanding of how the service has been used.
For example, of the more than 525 million customer contacts NYC311 has received, 359 million were received by phone, followed by 147 million received through the website, although it is worth noting 311 Online was launched in 2009, several years after the initial service.
The top three busiest call volume time periods were during a blizzard in 2011, a blizzard in 2013 and Hurricane Sandy in 2012, demonstrating the value that this service offers constituents during natural disasters and extreme weather events. Other major busy periods included the launch of IDNYC and the COVID-19 pandemic.
In addition to providing information to constituents, this data can also inform city government if there are trends in particular issues that are raising questions.
Also notably, in 2004, the first full year of reporting saw the majority of inquiries were related to the removal of appliances using freon, whereas the most recent full year of reporting, 2022, saw the majority of inquiries were related to a parking ticket or camera violation.
Along with the report, the city also released a video featuring Adams discussing some of the most memorable requests. These included, “Can I claim my dog as a dependent on my taxes?” and “I’d like to report my neighbor for waving to everyone on the block.”
