From Potholes to Progress: The Impact of 20 Years of 311 in Riverside

How many times have you seen a new pothole that needs to be filled or graffiti that needs to be cleaned and wondered why the city hasn’t fixed it yet? I hear from our residents about this daily, but the reality is the city likely doesn’t even know about what needs to be fixed and won’t know about it without your help! With 85 square miles (featuring over 1100 miles of paved roads), it is nearly impossible for our city staff to be everywhere all at once. This is where you come in. As a resident, no one knows Riverside better than you do. We rely on our partnership with you as the resident to help identify where city services are needed and utilize our 311 call center to let us know.

In honor of National 311 Day (March 11), I felt it was only right to talk about our incredible team here in Riverside and the amazing work that they do. Did you know Riverside’s 311 call center just celebrated 20 years of service to the residents of our city? With a population of over 320,000 residents, our mighty team of 13 individuals works hard to assist with every 311 report submitted directly by you. Implemented on June 1, 2004, the 311 call center consisted of 3 representatives who assisted with 7,400 calls in their first year. Since 2004, 311 has become an integral service provided by the city, with their one-millionth call assisted in February of 2012. In 2016, 311 launched their mobile app, and in 2023, a Spanish version of the app was released. In 2023, 311 representatives received more than 140,513 calls for service and 25,134 requests online and through the mobile app across all seven wards. After 20 years of service, our call center has responded to almost 2.3 million service requests submitted by our community. A large number of the requests submitted have gone to our public works team. These requests for services can range from pothole repairs, missed trash pick-up, parking services, street cleaning, and more. There are several residents who are avid users of 311 who can attest to the effectiveness of utilizing this tool, with one of our residents racking up a whopping 12,242 service requests over the years!

Our 311 specialists respond to over 500 requests a day on average and fulfill their response times from as little as within the hour to only a few days after the service request was initiated. In January 2024, we received 6,540 service requests, averaging a 5-day response time. They are a critical piece of what sets Riverside apart from other cities, and for 20 years, our 311 team has been tireless problem solvers working to improve the quality of life for our residents. They have become the most effective tool for our residents to positively impact the city and enhance our response with services in your neighborhoods. This means potholes being filled faster, utility bills paid easier, graffiti removed sooner, homeless encampments addressed more effectively and more. Ultimately, this means keeping Riverside safe and clean, which we cannot do without your help.

We can all be involved and accountable for our city by utilizing the 311 app. There are several ways you can use 311 to your benefit. You can call 311 or (951) 826-5311, use the app, or send an email to CallCenter@RiversideCA.gov. If using the app or email, you have the option to attach photos and track the service number to check on the status of the request.