49°
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
7 Day Forecast
Follow our weather team on social media

New app for smartphones allows citizens to request city services

8 years 2 weeks 4 days ago Wednesday, March 09 2016 Mar 9, 2016 March 09, 2016 1:33 PM March 09, 2016 in News
Source: WBRZ

BATON ROUGE - Baton Rouge Mayor Melvin “Kip” Holden announced the launch of a new web and smartphone app that aims to provide easy-to-use tools so residents can request government services and report issues in real-time.

The app, called Red Stick 311, allows users to create online accounts to request and then keep track of the status of service requests. Residents can even upload relevant images to go with those requests.

GPS-enabled location services attached to user requests provide an easy way for crews to be dispatched directly to the location of the problem. Crews will be able to leverage the app to save time by coordinating request dispatch with ongoing work based on the location data.

“We live in a world that runs on technology, and because of this, there is an expectation for all devices, platforms, and applications to keep pace,” Mayor Holden said.

The Mayor said the app is a step toward changing the way government has traditionally interacted with its citizens. It also represent the City-Parish's commitment to keeping up evolving technological trends, according to Holden.

Residents can continue to request services or report issues by dialing 311, but officials are encouraging residents to use the new apps.

“Our team at Information Services has been hard at work over the past several years to identify ways in which we can more easily connect citizens to government services, and engage residents in the daily operations of our City-Parish government in meaningful ways,”  Eric Romero, Interim Director of Information Services, said.

Whether it is reporting a pothole and drainage issues or allowing participation in signal studies, the Mayor's Office says they are excited to provide yet another way for residents to interact with government.

As a part of the launch, the City-Parish has also developed a citizen self-help knowledge base that is accessible on the Red Stick 311 home page at 311.brla.gov. The knowledge base will be updated on a regular basis to ensure citizens have access to common information needs that impact their daily lives.

Red Stick 311 is live and available online and in the App Store and Google Play Store as a free download.

More News

Desktop News

Click to open Continuous News in a sidebar that updates in real-time.
Radar
7 Days