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Abstract

This report explores trends in transportation maintenance requests submitted through municipal 311 systems across six U.S. cities: Denver, San Francisco, Charlotte, Nashville, Boston, and Washington, D.C. The 311 system is a non-emergency citizen relationship management component used by many cities to allow residents to report real-time conditions and request city services. However, there is ongoing concern that 311 systems may reinforce disparities in the distribution of transportation maintenance. Prior studies have shown that areas with higher proportions of low-income or minority residents tend to generate fewer 311 complaints, raising questions about the ability of 311 systems to support effective service provision. Despite this concern, relatively little research has focused specifically on transportation-related complaints. This study posits that 311 reporting may be more frequent among low-income communities when requests involve essential services, such as transportation infrastructure maintenance, rather than complaint types that may be considered more discretionary or “nuisance” in nature. By examining demographic patterns in transportation-related 311 requests, this study finds that transportation maintenance reporting behavior exhibits different patterns of participation from aggregated 311 reporting. The results offer guidance for planners and engineers considering the use of 311 data in effective, data-informed transportation maintenance planning.

How to Cite

Shirgaokar, Manish, Aditi Misra, Wesley Marshall, and Zane Newell. Who Uses 311? Patterns in Citizen-Reported Transportation Maintenance Requests, CTIPS-26-007. North Dakota State University - Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute, Fargo: Center for Transformative Infrastructure Preservation and Sustainability, 2026.