Six months after its launch, San Diego residents have filed reports of issues such as potholes, graffiti and trash in the street using the "Get it Done" app. The city has collected 38,500 reports, and the app has been downloaded 9,500 times.
Almis Udrys, San Diego’s Director of Performance and Analytics, said he did not set expectations for how widely the app would be used and that he wanted it to begin with a low profile.
"In some ways it was intentional to not make a big splash because we didn’t want to overwhelm all of the hardworking city employees who actually have to process stuff that comes in or go and fix everything," he said. "So we wanted to make sure we had an opportunity to see the numbers under a soft launch first."
Since the app launched, Udrys said there have been more reports of issues for the city to fix, but didn't have the exact numbers, though he expects his team to conduct that analysis in the near future.
He added the city is also looking for ways to make fixing problems more efficient.
"So things like graffiti, we’ve equipped (city employees) with tablets and they can open up get it done and see where the graffiti is," he said.
As for the future of the app, Udrys said he hopes to expand services in the next fiscal year, but that will depend on the city's budget.
"Assuming we have the budget and the resources, but as some folks may have heard this year may be a little more challenging," he said.
If the money is there, Udrys said he will also work on a 311 phone system where residents could also make reports and get information.
The app allows users to take a picture of issues and automatically picks up their geolocation. After filing a report, users can track the city's progress as well as look at other reports that have been filed.
Of the 38,500 reports, about half have been closed. The rest are either still unresolved or fall under the purview of another agency. For example, power lines or highways.
The app has mostly positive ratings on Google Play and iTunes and has earned positive comments on Reddit.
"I can't believe they actually made this," one user wrote. "I work in La Jolla, the amount of potholes near Scenic dr. and Torrey pines in general is humongous in figure. I'm gonna be having a blast with this."
But others complained the city had not yet responded to their reports.
"I used it to report two broken street lights and after a month they just closed the ticket without explanation," a user wrote. "I inquired as to why - the lights still weren't fixed - and got a one line reply that those are not city-maintained lights. No info as to whose they were, nothing. I did eventually figure out who to contact, but the folks who deal with requests from this app were of no help in that regard."
There are 200 open reports in a data set posted on the city's website.
The city's new website, which launched in March, also has a "Get it Done" section where users can make reports.
