311

I found myself calling the city's 311 system a lot recently and I am happy to report that I experienced positive results. I reported everything from potholes and sink-holes, to down street signs and tree branches. Although it does not happen overnight, I must say that the problems are prioritized accordingly and dealt with properly-putting to rest that it's just an answering service at city hall.

My issues were handled as follows:
tree branch was removed within an hour of call
sink-holes were fixed within 48 hours
pot hole took a month
street sign was reinstalled within a week

To use the system, dial 311 (617-666-3311 from outside of Somerville) for assistance. TTY/Hearing Impaired (only) dial 866-808-4851. You can also fill out an online form if calling is not your thing.

I have programmed the "617" number in my cell phone, so I can report issues during my walks and have even called as late as 7:30pm and found that a human answers the phone!

Have you had the same experiences? Comment and let me know!