The Erie County Legislature approved a resolution that asks the county's Department of Public Works to create a mobile app that will allow users to report potholes and get status updates on repairs.
Legislator Joe Lorigo put the resolution before the legislature.
"Fortunately it was passed. So now it's going to be time to get to work and get the RFP out to see if there are organizations or companies that want to do their best to bid on it, and come up with a proposal so that we can get to work," he said.
While the app won't be ready to be downloaded just yet, here's how it works: find a pothole and take a picture of it, then geotag it, and upload it directly to the county's DPW. After that you can follow up on it and check on its progress.
"It's basically a more transparent way of conducting county roadwork business," said Lorigo.
Potholes have long plagued WNY, but city leaders say they are taking steps to repair them. Like the $18 million projectto rehabilitate Main Street, which will include fixing potholes along that road.
The city of Buffalo has an app that you can use to report potholes, but it's just for the city.
"The 311 app for the city of Buffalo only is for the city of Buffalo. And Erie county owns no roads at all inside the city. We own roads all throughout the rest of Erie county, and so our app would focus on county owned assets and county-owned roads," said Lorigo.
Lorigo said the app may not be ready this year, but he hopes it will be ready by spring 2020.
