Happy Friday, SeeClickFixers! In this weeks edition of TGIF(ixed), we're celebrating the end of the work week by highlighting the hard work of our government clients. So without further ado...

Swampscott, MA
One of our newest government clients, Swampscott closed their first SeeClickFix issue this week! With some tree trimming and wood removal, the town Department of Public Works closed out Issue #115264 - Tree Trimming. Congrats to Swampscott on what is sure to be the first of many closed issues in their community!

Raleigh, NC

Not only did the City of Raleigh do an awesome job of acknowledging this issue and communicating with their citizens, they went above and beyond to close it out! Issue #114719 - Drainage - was reported 8 days ago to address a storm drain that was clogged by weeds. Even though the drain was found to be on private property, Raleigh Public Works got out there to clean the drain and close the issue. 


College Station, TX







Confusing road markings in College Station were corrected this week thanks to an observant citizen reporter and a superstar government client. SeeClickFixer I.R. reported Issue #111302 - Road marking doesn't show straight direction - 25 days ago. College Station quickly acknowledged the issue and let their citizens know that they assigned a contractor to address the problem by the first week of August.
What better way to say TGIF than with an early fix? 

 Hartford, CT 















Issue #98728 - Walk light out at bus stop crosswalk - was reported in Downtown Hartford, CT 3 months ago. This week, a SeeClickFix user closed the issue after seeing the fix when safely crossing the street! Hartford gives us yet another great example of how everyone wins when local governments partner with SeeClickFix to address the concerns of their citizens!

That does it for TGIF(ixed) this week! As always, a huge thanks to SeeClickFix clients and users for improving their communities, one click at a time. Next week, if you find yourself saying "TGIF" before Friday rolls around, let us know! Send us your newly closed issue in an email, or tweet it to us @seeclickfix to see it here next week on the SeeClickFix blog! 

A few weeks ago, Demos fellow and author Jared Duval discussed his new book Next Generation Democracy: What the Open-Source Revolution Means for Power, Politics, and Change on PRX's Voices of Our World, an award-winning public affairs radio program. With its focus on solving challenges collectively, Duval's book highlights those organizations--including SeeClickFix--assuming leadership roles in this revolution.

In the Wi-Fi Democracy interview, Duval discusses how collective action emerges through open-source technology and participatory online sites like SeeClickFix. Voices of Our World host Eileen Bott described how SeeClickFix changes the way citizens communicate with their municipalities (and each other):

Telling them [local government] off is now just a click away. No nasty paper letter, no dead trees. You can now go to a civic website which connects you and your neighbors to your local government, allowing you to report a problem.

Duval elaborated on this thought, describing how citizens are becoming more active and invested in their communities thanks to an increasing access to information:

Rather than seeing government as something separate to be complained at, I think SeeClickFix is enabling us because we can come together and share information more effectively. It enhances our role as citizens to feel investment and ownership of our own communities. And to come together to do things rather than waiting around for some distant force, or at least that's what the frame is about our government.

This participatory approach reforms and reinvents government in transparent, decentralized ways while simultaneously creating communities of engaged, proactive citizens. Without SeeClickFix, many questions remain unanswered after an individual reports something, like a pothole or missing street sign, to their local government: What happens to it? Where does it go? Is it getting fixed? With SeeClickFix, however, Duval believes this problem can be overcome:

And so the cofounders of SeeClickFix created this site as a platform where you could post nonemergency issues in real-time, other citizens can go on and share information about that as well. They can post pictures or videos that help give a better sense of what's going on, but there's also discussion so you can engage with government [...] And so, it's tracked totally transparently, citizens collaborating with their fellow citizens who happen to work for the government to solve local problems rather than just seeing government as a complaint board [...]

I checked out my own little rural hamlet in New York state on SeeClickFix. And son of a gun, my town is there with its tall grass obscuring a curve in the road and the need for a new traffic light. We're connected, but while most of us are just sharing giggles with friends on Facebook, and ya know that's not that bad, I can't help but extrapolate from what I'm learning on the local level or national level what is possible on the global level. Act local, think global.

The open-source revolution continues to reshape the way civil society functions with the bottom-up, grassroots efforts of innovators and average citizens alike. SeeClickFix places itself on the frontlines of this 'next generation democracy' movement--transforming residents into citizens with one easy click of the mouse!

Guest post by Amanda Smyth, SeeClickFix Intern Extraordinaire!

The catchy phrase and company known as “SeeClickFix” holds a variety of meanings for many individuals. For citizens, SeeClickFix is an outlet to report issues that they want repaired. For governments, it is a way to demonstrate their commitment to their community by responding and fixing concerns. However for me, SeeClickFix has been my work place for the past two months. Though my internship here at SeeClickFix is nearly over, the wonderful experience that I gained will be remembered for a long time. I can hardly forget my first day of work when I explored New Haven and reported issues I found that needed to be fixed. It was neat learning how the mobile applications worked and how rewarding it feels to know your voice has been heard. This is just one of the endless reasons to use SeeClickFix in your community.

While working at SeeClickFix I have certainly grasped a better knowledge of programs such as Google docs and Cision. My ping-pong skills have also been improved during breaks of list building (where I consistently beat my other fellow intern, Tom). I have never heard of any internship that has a ping-pong and foosball table right in the office! I also learned a lot about the ins and outs of phone calls with government and media contacts. It was a sometimes frustrating, but ultimately rewarding process being able to introduce new people and communities to our platform. At SeeClickFix I always felt like part of the team and that my efforts were appreciated!

Amanda (in green) really "dug" her internship with SeeClickFix...

Working at SeeClickFix has also made me aspire to help my community. One afternoon I planted trees with the SeeClickFix team and our neighbors here in New Haven. This was a phenomenal way to give back to the community. SeeClickFix may be a fairly new company, but this has not stopped it from doing well. I look forward to watching the growth of the company, and feeling proud that I was able to take part in such an inspiring idea. I could not have asked for a better internship and work experience this summer.

Here at SeeClickFix, we think it is safe to say that the following statements are universally accepted as being true:

1. Fridays are awesome
2. Fixing things is awesome

With this in mind, we're sharing a few of the many issues that went from open to closed this week on SeeClickFix! Kick-start your weekend by saying "TGIF(ixed)" and check out our fixed issues week in review!

Richmond Hill, Ontario Councillor Greg Beros logged on to update users that Issue #100724 - Broken glass on display- had been fixed. Councillor Beros both reported and closed this issue himself!




Tuesday

Tim Arnold, a SeeClickFix Municipal Avenger in Tucson, AZ closed out 4 graffiti issues he had submitted through the SCF mobile app. Graffiti on intersection barriers, a stop sign, a bike route sign and an electrical box was removed by the City of Tucson (a SeeClickFix partner!) thanks to Tim's reporting.



Wednesday 

New trees were the fix for Issue #28915 - Dirt Holes in Sidewalk! Reported by Andrew nearly a year ago, this issue in San Francisco has finally been resolved (and in a very environmentally friendly way)!



Thursday

A concerned citizen in Charlotte, NC reported that a street light in her neighborhood was fixed on Thursday! Issue #110614 - Street light has been out for at least 5 months - was submitted to SeeClickFix 20 days ago. 




Friday 

SeeClickFixer Dag from Prince Albert Saskatchewan closed out a graffiti issue he reported earlier this week. Glad Dag started his week on Monday by reporting Issue #113505 - Graffiti - and then ended it with a fix on Friday! 












A huge thanks to these (and many other!) SeeClickFix users for not only reporting their community concerns, but for taking the time to keep their neighbors updated by closing fixed issues! Next week, if you find yourself saying "TGIF" before Friday rolls around, let us know! Send us your closed issue in an email, or tweet it to us @seeclickfix. We would love to share it here next week on the SeeClickFix blog!

Happy Friday, SeeClickFixers!

Swampscott, Mass. (July 22, 2011) – The Town of Swampscott announces a new partnership with an online reporting platform that enables residents to submit non-emergency problems and request public services. Powered by SeeClickFix, the place-based reporting platform allows citizens to document neighborhood concerns and improvements alike, ranging from potholes and graffiti to barking dogs and streetlights being out.

“The goal of this partnership is to encourage residents and town officials to stay engaged with what’s happening in our community,” said Town Treasurer / Collector Denise Dembkoski. “We’re hoping to leverage the technology we have – cell phones, iPads, etc. – to not only improve communication between citizens and local government, but to improve our town services overall.”

With the online reporting platform, residents can report quality-of-life concerns directly to the town through custom service request categories via the Town of Swampscott website, SeeClickFix.com, or mobile applications for iPhone, Android and Blackberry. The platform allows citizens to provide additional information about the issue by adding a detailed description or including a photograph in their report. Once someone submits an issue, both the reporter and the town of Swampscott will receive an email notification. The local government can then acknowledge the service request, route it to the proper department, and update the issue page once it’s been resolved. All updates on issues reported through SeeClickFix are displayed publicly, allowing Swampscott to quickly and easily inform citizens of their progress.

“SeeClickFix will empower residents to become an integral part of the identification, prioritization and resolution of quality-of-life issues in Swampscott,” said Dembkoski. “Since the system encourages active participation from both government and citizens to efficiently address community issues, everyone wins. “

In addition to enhanced citizen reporting, Swampscott’s partnership with SeeClickFix also allows residents to view, comment on, and vote to fix problems submitted by others in the community. Citizens can even create their own “watch areas” to receive notifications about issues reported throughout the town or just in their neighborhood, enabling them to follow the progress of all service requests.

“SeeClickFix provides local governments with the tools needed to efficiently and transparently solve community issues, but the fixes come from engaged communities that collaborate to get stuff done,” said Ben Berkowitz, CEO of SeeClickFix. “We’re proud to be partnering with a town as committed to civic engagement as Swampscott and look forward to seeing how our online platform impacts their offline community.”

The SeeClickFix Swampscott website can be found here: http://seeclickfix.com/swampscott and residents can download iPhone, Android, and Blackberry apps here: http://www.seeclickfix.com/apps

About SeeClickFix

SeeClickFix allows citizens anywhere in the world to report and monitor non-emergency community issues ranging from potholes and planted trees to garbage and graffiti. Launched in 2008, it empowers citizens, community groups, media organizations, and governments to work together and improve their neighborhoods. Through mobile web, web, iPhone, Android, and Blackberry apps, the SeeClickFix platform is the most widely-distributed citizen reporting tool in the country. The platform is fun and easy to use for citizens while being inexpensive and easily adaptable for governments. SeeClickFix supports the Open311 standard that promotes improved communication between citizens and their local government. Over 50 percent of issues reported on SeeClickFix are ultimately resolved. For more information or to report an issue, visit www.seeclickfix.com.

All New Haveners should cheer Megabus’ recent announcement that it will start providing service between New Haven and Boston. A new, cost-effective option for public transportation is good news for anyone looking to save a few bucks while also helping to save the planet. Plus, the free tickets that Megabus is giving away seem like a great way to head to Beantown to enjoy some chowdah without the hassle of pahking the cah.

We here at SeeClickFix are humbly patting ourselves on the back for giving voice to the many New Haven citizens who wanted more public transportation options through Issue #7425: Bolt Bus Should Run from New Haven to New York. Since being posted roughly two years ago, there has been extensive conversation going on among local residents about the need for more bus routes to pass through New Haven.

In fact, this issue--which was started by our own Ben Berkowitz--was cited in a Board of Alderman resolution calling on BoltBus to provide service between New Haven and New York. City official Crissy Bonanno contributed to the issue comments and stated:

The City of New Haven is committed to getting Bolt Bus to add us to their route. Working with area partners that share this goal, we are sending the company extensive demographic and marketing materials to show that New Haven would be a profitable addition to their business. We are asking the company to check out this ticket at SeeClickFix to gauge community interest--so keep the posts and links coming!

When last contacted about the possibility of expanding to New Haven, BoltBus indicated that it had no immediate plans because of the weak economy. Hopefully, Megabus’ addition of New Haven will be successful, demonstrating the viability of bus travel to and from New Haven. At any rate, it’s very rewarding to see that after years of clamoring for more bus lines through SeeClickFix, New Haven community members are being heard.

See you on the bus!

Guest post by Thomas Gaudett, Superstar SeeClickFix Intern

As a Government major at Harvard and citizen concerned about my community, it excites me when we as a society come up with new and innovative ways to solve problems that we face collectively. Having been acquainted with SeeClickFix over these last few months, I have discovered such a tool. The services that SeeClickFix offers to citizens and local officials can easily and rightfully be construed as revolutionary. And in this new age of technology and innovation, I have discovered two great ways that SeeClickFix is making the world a better place.

The first thing I discovered was that SeeClickFix assists citizens when reporting problems to local governments, especially issues that might otherwise not be reported. In particular, I have realized the benefits of working to fix pothole issues in local communities across the country. For example, the MTA of the San Francisco Bay Area publishes a pothole report every year. In this report, the MTA makes it clear that there is real cost savings in dealing with potholes up front when they are an issue rather than waiting until the street further deteriorates. The report says that preventive measures made by cities cost about $1 to repair a piece of roadway. It increases to $5 if they wait to perform major rehabilitation. Knowing about these non-emergency issues before they are major problems is a way to reduce costs to enact preventive rather than reactive measures. By encouraging citizens to report potholes and making governments aware of them,  SeeClickFix is helping in this process of trimming local government budgets, which are very tight at the moment.

Upon further research, I have realized that SeeClickFix is indirectly helping to achieve a greener earth. Consider this: cities often set a goal of reducing their carbon footprints. According to a June 2009 Caltrans report Prioritization of Transportation Projects for Economic Stimulus with Respect to Greenhouse Gases, smooth pavement reduces GHG emissions by improving vehicles’ fuel economy while low cost preventive measures lead to fewer greenhouse gas emissions. This is due to the need to produce less asphalt or other paving materials, and the need for fewer truck trips to transport materials to and from the worksite. By documenting and ultimately helping resolve street-related issues in a timely fashion, SeeClickFix is working with communities to create a greener earth.

Every day, the SeeClickFix community is realizing the benefits of the services it provides citizens and local governments. These are just two more to add to the list. This certainly encourages all of us to go out and report issues using the SeeClickFix mobile apps. Improving our communities never felt so good!

We love technology. We love media. We really love when those two join forces and create one amazing result. One of our media partners, the Journal Register Company, perfectly exemplifies this symbiotic relationship with its 'digital first' strategy.

CEO John Paton recently spoke with NetNewsCheck.com about how the Journal Register Co. has used its new online strategy (which includes SeeClickFix) to reinvent itself while simultaneously becoming "on par with the best in the newspaper industry."

Flashback to three years ago: the Journal Register Co. looked like "one of the newspaper industry’s worst black eyes" with its accumulating debt, delisting of its stock, and subsequent bankruptcy. Today, the company has completely transformed itself, "emphasizing content and sales while shedding printing plants and above all, focusing on building online readership."

Part of this transformation? Crowdsourcing with SeeClickFix.

Clearly they’ve [bloggers] played a role in expanding our content offerings and expanding our audience. As has our partnering with companies like SeeClickFix, which is a phenomenal success for us. SeeClickFix lets us do old-fashioned journalism about fixing a pothole here or raising an alarm about a dangerous intersection there.

With SeeClickFix, news outlets like the JRC can stay up-to-date on the issues that directly impact the communities they serve---engaging and empowering citizens along the way. What happens in neighborhoods affects individuals in very immediate, personal ways. Through our widget feature, media outlets can connect with their audiences over these concerns and allow residents to report community issues directly through their website--thereby making the site more interactive and relevant to residents.  Just look at the New Haven Register or the News-Herald.

News outlets can then receive email alerts about those issues being reported through 'watch areas' containing the counties, cities, or neighborhoods they cover. These publicly documented SeeClickFix issues can even serve as content for media outlets (see Gripe of the Day), creating new space for public debate, and even leading to investigation and resolution of those matters.

To learn even about the JRC and its growing digital strategy, check out NetNewsCheck.

Citizens waiting at a bus stop in Charlotte, NC weren't alone in needing a lift recently. After seeing an electrical cable hanging dangerously low near the corner of Cedar and Trade, a concerned WBTV News 3 viewer reported the problem through a SeeClickFix map widget on our media partner's site. Citizen reporter Dan M. wrote:

Why has a power line been allowed to droop dangerously low at Cedar and Trade? This has been in this condition for more than a week!!! A 5 foot tall lady at the bus stop could easily grab it.

Before: A Cable Close Call

WBTV Morning Anchor Christie Nelson was alerted as soon as the issue was reported and immedietly began contacting numerous city agencies to see who could fix the problem. After a few phone calls, the Charlotte DOT was notified and quickly dispatched a crew to fix the drooping line. Wednesday afternoon, WBTV learned that the cable was gone and the problem was solved!

After: Out of Reach Thanks to WBTV!

SeeClickFix is thankful for our media partners who help to continually broadcast community issues that need to be addressed. Pedestrian Carl Campbell, interviewed by WBTV, sums up our feelings pretty perfectly...

"I am glad WBTV is out here Channel 3. I look at your news and I'm glad you're out here trying to do something for us,"

We're glad too! 

SeeClickFix has helped revolutionize the way citizens communicate with local government. Our growing roster of government clients have all taken a huge step forward by implementing our open, transparent platform and choosing to publicly document their actions (or the lack thereof). In doing so, governments using SeeClickFix have a pretty excellent motivation for consistently communicating with citizens and getting non-emergency issues fixed fast: accountability.

Elected officials don't want the "crowdsouced finger" pointed their way, but is the accountability that comes from public information only applicable for motivating government to act? A recent post by Terra Curtis on The Living Labs Global Mobility Report, SeeClickFix and Accountability, touches upon the importance of accountability for everyone involved in the SeeClickFix ecosystem.

When performing a survey of web and mobile apps that could be useful for bicycle and pedestrian planning, I identified SeeClickFix as a promising tool.  Not only did it encourage citizen participation but it made available to the public the resulting data.  This could be valuable information to the planner trying to identify hotspots for capital improvements.  However, one shortcoming I found was that no one was being held accountable for following up on all the issues.

Over 50% of issues reported online to SeeClickFix have been resolved offline in communities throughout the world. Now imagine how many issues would be fixed if all citizens felt as accountable as their local government for ensuring problems in their community are solved. While much of the article is focused on government accountability, ("It wouldn’t reflect very nicely on the city to have 1,000 outstanding issues and none of them actually addressed,"), she closed with some great questions about how accountability among our users can help more issues get from "open" to "closed".

What else could provide the needed accountability?  What is SeeClickFix published response rates for all cities, providing a letter grade of A for the most tech-savvy, responsive cities (the carrot) and a letter grade F for unresponsive cities (the stick)?  What if the citizen who creates (or follows) an issue gets pinged when the issue has gone unsolved for a designated amount of time?  What if SeeClickFixers get extra “Civic Points” for getting several users to sign on to a campaign to solve a particularly stale issue?

While SeeClickFix users can already view our Top Performing Cities or receive reminders about issues they have reported, this article has us thinking about what else we can do. How can we promote accountability on SeeClickFix? What can we do to help citizens and local governments share the responsibility of raising the fix rate to well over 50%? What more can we do to empower our users online to take action in their offline community? Do you have an idea about how SeeClickFix can accomplish this? Comment here, shoot us an email or send a tweet to @seeclickfix with your ideas on promoting accountability for all!