Vancouver's mobile app, MyVancouver, allows residents to easily report problems such as potholes and light outages, as well as receive notifications on service projects.
City of Vancouver
The city of Vancouver launched a new app Tuesday morning that gives residents a way to report potholes, streetlight outages, graffiti and other problems.
The app, called MyVancouver, was part of a 2015 goal for the city to invest in technology to better connect with residents.
“Everyone’s got their phone in their hand all day long, so it’s just trying to let people utilize the technology that they use every day and just giving another avenue for you to be able to connect with the city," said Carol Bua, a spokeswoman with the city of Vancouver.
Bua said the app will cost the city about $25,000 annually.
She said users can upload a photo when they report a problem, and they can see other requests for service.
“Another neat feature is that app users will receive notifications so they’ll be able to see and track the progress of their service requests as it progresses through our workflow steps," she said.
Vancouver joins hundreds of other cities around the country that already have similar apps.
The city plans to spend the next six months reviewing the app’s use before deciding whether to add additional functions.