Lowell, MA - The City of Lowell announces a new mobile app for the public to create service requests and receive real-time status updates through online and mobile interfaces.

Powered by SeeClickFix, this place-based reporting platform allows residents to document neighborhood concerns and improvements alike, ranging from litter to damaged sidewalks to illegal dumping. Using this real-time, online reporting system will increase productivity and efficiency for many city services and departments.

With the online and mobile reporting application, residents can report concerns through service request categories via the free downloadable custom mobile applications for iPhone, Android, and Blackberry by means of a mobile app, a Facebook App, and at www.seeclickfix.com.

“By using this online and mobile program, the public can report concerns in real time, as well as track the progress of their request,” says City Manager, Bernie Lynch. “This is a way in which we can improve citizen engagement and work together to build a sustainable community.”

The interface for reporting issues is very user-friendly. It utilizes drop down selection menus and simple clarifying questions. When submitting issues via mobile app, for example, residents can select from a list of issues and provide a description, including location and a picture if desired.

Once the resident submits an issue, anyone ‘watching’ the area will receive an alert. The City can then acknowledge the service request, route it to the proper department, and update the request—and residents following the issue—once it’s been resolved.

For this initial rollout, the City of Lowell is using SeeClickFix for issues and concerns that can be addressed by several departments. This includes issues with streets, lights, trash, drainage, debris collection, graffiti removal, fallen trees, illegal dumping and more.

"We're proud to be partnering with our 7th Massachusetts municipal client and providing the Lowell government with tools to help efficiently and transparently resolve public space issues," said Ben Berkowitz, CEO of SeeClickFix. "SeeClickFix is excited to see how the City of Lowell promotes civic engagement and empowers residents to improve their community with our platform."

The partnership allows residents to not only report community issues, but also to view and comment on items submitted by their neighbors. Citizens can create their own “watch areas” to receive notifications about issues reported in the city of Lowell, enabling them to follow the progress of all service requests – not just the ones they report.

Residents without online or mobile capabilities can still report issues to the city by calling City Hall at 978.674.4000 or logging on to www.lowellma.gov and clicking on the City Service Requests tab.