Falcon Heights Mayor Peter Lindstrom is encouraging people in his city to use a new iPhone app called “See Click Fix”. The concept is simple. If you see a pothole you can take a picture of it and send it to the city. The city administrator is notified directly. The geo-coding on the picture tells the city where the pothole is and they can go fix it. The app also creates a file on the city’s website so people can see if the pothole has been reported, how long ago it was reported and if (or when) it was fixed.
So what’s the problem?
Minnesota has a law against texting while driving, reflecting a growing concern over distracted driving. When speaking before a Minnesota Senate committee on Wednesday, Senator Ann Rest interrupted Mayor Lindstrom’s description of the app to remind him that people should stop their car before pulling out their phone to take a picture. He quickly agreed.
Editor’s Note: TC Daily Planet has featured SeeClickFix on our site for months – just look for the connection in Column 3. Deb Pleasants has written about the Twin Citeis experience in SeeClickFix: Cyber solution or civic soapbox?
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