Reporting Road and Infrastructure Maintenance Issues

In DC, city service and maintenance issues are reported through 311, the citywide call center, either by directly calling 311 or reporting through the mobile app available for iPhone and Android by searching “DC 311.” Issues are reported by service category, so the trick is to know what kind of issue you are reporting so that the report goes to the team that can fix the problem.

311 Categories

311 requests are broken down into categories that can be seen in the app. These make it easier to specify the nature of your issue and there are a few categories that will be more helpful than others.

Roadway Marking Maintenance:

• Damaged Park-Its
• Broken flexposts
• Faded or missing lane markings

Once you’ve told the city what kind of issue and where it is, the next page will ask for specific details. All of the Roadway Marking Maintenance examples above can be categorized as a “bicycle line” on the page for additional information:

Potholes have their own category! Be as specific as you can about the location. Cars parked in bike lanes can be reported as a “No Parking Anytime” enforcement concern. Then add the details – what precisely the issue is and any details that will help the crew know what to bring out into the field and where to go. The more information, the better!

One important note

The trick for a prompt response is to report the issue to the folks who can fix it – those with the tools to fill in potholes, paint asphalt, write tickets. Therefore avoid the service type “Bicycle Issues” – these issue reports go directly to the bike planning team at DDOT. It adds extra steps and time for them to forward requests to the appropriate maintenance teams of DDOT.