Today, with the launch of the new online self-service feature, residents now have the option of placing many service requests themselves through the City’s 311 website www.toronto.ca/311.

Many of the most common service requests received by 311 customer service representatives are now available online. The list of the services will continue to grow over the coming months as 311 works to integrate more of them online. Initial online service requests include the following: missed garbage, recycling or green bin collection, metal items or appliance pickup, report a damaged sidewalk or road, a pothole, a leaking hydrant or faded road markings, and requests for a solid waste collection calendar. More online services will be added in the coming months.

An additional feature of 311 Toronto is the ability for residents to track service requests. Whether the service request is generated online or by calling 311, the resident will receive a reference number. The resident can then track the status of the request online or by calling 311.

“Torontonians have embraced the new 311 phone service and are pleased with the results, so I’m thrilled to see the expansion online,” said Mayor David Miller. “In a city as plugged in as Toronto, I know our residents will be quick to embrace this new additional option of online self-service – and of course, they can still call 311, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.”

More than 300,000 calls have been received by 311 Toronto since its launch in September 2009. Most of those calls were for general information (77 per cent), while 23 per cent of all calls required 311 staff to initiate a service request. Most of the service requests were for Solid Waste service (59 per cent) and Toronto Water (24 per cent).

The addition of online service for 311 is yet another step in the City’s efforts to ensure easy access to City services.