Comments on: Calls For Greater 311, MTA Efficiency http://sf.streetsblog.org/2009/04/09/calls-for-greater-311-mta-efficiency/ Covering San Francisco's livable streets movement Tue, 07 Feb 2012 16:15:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: theo http://sf.streetsblog.org/2009/04/09/calls-for-greater-311-mta-efficiency/comment-page-1/#comment-4836 theo Tue, 21 Apr 2009 01:21:38 +0000 http://sf.streetsblog.org/?p=1909#comment-4836 Au contraire, Greg, 311 is a great idea that Gavin stole from a few other cities including, I think, Chicago. The idea of having a clearinghouse for the hopelessly complex matrix of local government functions (or any bureaucracy, public or private) is fantastic, money permitting. Give people something empowering to do about problems they observe, instead of just whining! The city's just now discovering what every company (especially the computer industry) already knew: good customer service with a human on the other end is expensive. They should've implemented the 511 stop tagging idea much earlier -- but 511 is somewhat dysfunctional, as you know. Au contraire, Greg, 311 is a great idea that Gavin stole from a few other cities including, I think, Chicago.

The idea of having a clearinghouse for the hopelessly complex matrix of local government functions (or any bureaucracy, public or private) is fantastic, money permitting. Give people something empowering to do about problems they observe, instead of just whining!

The city’s just now discovering what every company (especially the computer industry) already knew: good customer service with a human on the other end is expensive.

They should’ve implemented the 511 stop tagging idea much earlier — but 511 is somewhat dysfunctional, as you know.

]]> By: Aaron B. http://sf.streetsblog.org/2009/04/09/calls-for-greater-311-mta-efficiency/comment-page-1/#comment-4676 Aaron B. Fri, 10 Apr 2009 00:38:02 +0000 http://sf.streetsblog.org/?p=1909#comment-4676 There's an unofficial text message service for Muni times that I always use when I'm out - I haven't called 311 in forever. It links information from nextmuni.com, I think they should try to get this out more. Send text to: 41411 Example message: Mymuni Haight & Ashbury All you have to put in the message is "mymuni" and then the intersection/stop you're at. It will text you back with up to 3 nearby route times. Besides an intersection, you can also type in a station (ex: "Mymuni Powell Station"). All the info is on a page on nextmuni.com: http://www.nextmuni.com/wirelessConfig/sms.jsp (It will give you other variations besides "mymuni", but they all work just as well.) There’s an unofficial text message service for Muni times that I always use when I’m out – I haven’t called 311 in forever. It links information from nextmuni.com, I think they should try to get this out more.

Send text to: 41411
Example message: Mymuni Haight & Ashbury

All you have to put in the message is “mymuni” and then the intersection/stop you’re at. It will text you back with up to 3 nearby route times. Besides an intersection, you can also type in a station (ex: “Mymuni Powell Station”).

All the info is on a page on nextmuni.com:
http://www.nextmuni.com/wirelessConfig/sms.jsp

(It will give you other variations besides “mymuni”, but they all work just as well.)

]]> By: j http://sf.streetsblog.org/2009/04/09/calls-for-greater-311-mta-efficiency/comment-page-1/#comment-4675 j Thu, 09 Apr 2009 22:39:01 +0000 http://sf.streetsblog.org/?p=1909#comment-4675 the whole notion of having to talk to either a human or a robot is (or rather should be) mostly unnecessary to get nextbus times. If MTA would just post at every stop (and publicize) the individual stop ID number (which you can currently find buried on the 511 website), then all you would have to do is punch in the stop ID number. It's as simple as stencilling or posting a sticker of the ID number at the stops, and it would work for stops that don't even have shelters or signs. It's a very simple and cheap fix. People would then just start saving on their cellphones a list of the common stops that they use or transfer at. Plus, if you're standing at one of the majority of stops around the City that don't have digital nextbus boards, you can get the info. This would go a long way to really reducing the number of situations in which you would need to vocalize a request to a human or robot. The only situation that wouldn't preclude the need to talk to someone is if you haven't gotten the stop number in advance (i.e. it's not a stop you regularly use) and you're not at the stop yet. From my personal experience, that's only a fraction of the times you need nextbus information. Most of the time, people need information for stops or transfers that they commonly use. If the stop ID number were widely available, it's very simple for people to store in their cell phones a list of dozens of their most commonly used stop ID numbers, even for a techno luddite. the whole notion of having to talk to either a human or a robot is (or rather should be) mostly unnecessary to get nextbus times. If MTA would just post at every stop (and publicize) the individual stop ID number (which you can currently find buried on the 511 website), then all you would have to do is punch in the stop ID number. It’s as simple as stencilling or posting a sticker of the ID number at the stops, and it would work for stops that don’t even have shelters or signs. It’s a very simple and cheap fix.
People would then just start saving on their cellphones a list of the common stops that they use or transfer at. Plus, if you’re standing at one of the majority of stops around the City that don’t have digital nextbus boards, you can get the info. This would go a long way to really reducing the number of situations in which you would need to vocalize a request to a human or robot.
The only situation that wouldn’t preclude the need to talk to someone is if you haven’t gotten the stop number in advance (i.e. it’s not a stop you regularly use) and you’re not at the stop yet. From my personal experience, that’s only a fraction of the times you need nextbus information. Most of the time, people need information for stops or transfers that they commonly use. If the stop ID number were widely available, it’s very simple for people to store in their cell phones a list of dozens of their most commonly used stop ID numbers, even for a techno luddite.

]]> By: Greg http://sf.streetsblog.org/2009/04/09/calls-for-greater-311-mta-efficiency/comment-page-1/#comment-4670 Greg Thu, 09 Apr 2009 18:41:33 +0000 http://sf.streetsblog.org/?p=1909#comment-4670 311 is another "Gavin on the Toilet" idea that they come up with, have a pretty press conference, and then it's another hit on the budget and it duplicates existing service. Time to pull the plug and put more next muni signs on the stops! 311 is another “Gavin on the Toilet” idea that they come up with, have a pretty press conference, and then it’s another hit on the budget and it duplicates existing service. Time to pull the plug and put more next muni signs on the stops!

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