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RVA 311 sees sustained call spike after January water crisis; city plans dispatch pilot and self-service expansions
Summary
The city's 311 operation reported rising call volumes since January, expanded hours and new features such as callbacks and post-call surveys, and is planning a pilot to integrate dispatch so nonemergency field requests can be routed without duplicative systems.
Peter Bridal, director of Citizen Service and Response, briefed the Government Operations Committee on RVA 311 performance, capacity and planned upgrades, saying the city has expanded both staff and functionality and is monitoring a post-January surge in demand.
Bridal told the committee, "In 2024, we received over 200,000 calls. We answered over 160,000." He said the city's call-center team has exceeded a 94% call-quality target for several years, achieving about 95% under current measures, and that 2024 produced roughly 75,000 requests in the RVA 311 system.
Why it matters: the 311 system is the city's primary intake and case-management tool. Bridal said consistent use of RVA 311 creates a time-stamped record that allows departments to track and fulfill requests and enables council members to see district-level trends.
Key metrics and recent changes
- Volume and distribution: Bridal said call volume averaged about 800 calls per day in recent years; since the…
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