311 History

In 1997, Chicago took a hard look at how its residents requested city services and how departments responded to those requests. The City realized that although its system was considered one of the best in the country, there was opportunity for improvement.

The system was dependent on outdated software that was not Y2K compliant, and was unable to produce work orders or generate the management information necessary to enhance the efficiency of City departments that deliver basic city services. In addition, due to a proliferation of phone numbers used to market different City programs and services [e.g., 312-744-5000 (city services); 312-744-CAPS (community policing); 312-744-1234 (graffiti removal); 312-746-6000 (police non-emergency services)] and an area code split which required even more 10-digit dialing, residents were finding it increasingly difficult to access the services to which they were entitled.

In January 1999, the City implemented the 311 system as a "one-stop shopping" center for access to all city services and non-emergency police services, eliminating a number of smaller call centers.

In May 1999, the City culminated more than one year of research and planning by replacing its outdated mainframe system with a modern PC-based system that would improve communication among departments, reduce response time to residents' requests, and generate management reports to ensure a more efficient service delivery system for all departments.

Chicago residents can now call 311 - 24 hours a day, 7 days a week - to report service needs, check the status of previous service requests, obtain information regarding City programs or events and file police reports.

Service requests can also be submitted to the City utilizing several other discrete channels: Aldermanic offices, community policing offices within each police district, the Internet and remote City department facilities.

By combining one easy-to-remember number, a staff of highly trained operators and an enterprise-wide software that automatically routes service requests to the proper department, Chicago has worked to make city government work effectively in several ways.

First, the system has simplified and shortened the time between a resident reporting a problem and its resolution. Departments are now able to regularly query the system and provide crews with work orders in a timelier manner.

Second, the system has become an effective management tool, generating real-time reports that help department heads manage staff, track trends, highlight outstanding performance, target efficiency needs and maximize its resources. For example, during the recent West Nile Virus outbreak, City managers used reports on "Dead Animals" (birds) to track the spread and concentration of the virus. In August 2001, during a heavy rainstorm, the Department of Sewers used "Water in the Basement" reports to pinpoint areas of heavy flooding and adjusted the sewer system in those areas. During a similar storm in August 2002, 311 received only a fraction of calls reporting water in the basement.

Finally, the system helped make the City's 911 emergency system more efficient by diverting non-emergency calls that could impede the City's emergency response. Prior to 311, during a 1997 rainstorm, the 911center received more than 32,000 calls in one day. During the August 2001 rainstorm referenced above, while 311 received almost 50,000 calls in 1 day, 911 received only 19,000 calls (slightly more than average).