Follow-ups to hazard reports

At Bikewise, we think it's cool to collect hazard data and show it on maps. But what everyone really wants is to get the hazards fixed. To make that happen, we usually need to forward these reports to the responsible authorities.

Since Bikewise is global—we collect and display reports from anywhere on the planet—it's obviously a big job to get all that linked up. Since we have to start somewhere, we're starting where we live: in the Pacific Northwest of the United States (Seattle, WA in particular).

If you live elsewhere, please consider this to be a pilot project for what we do in your city. The City of Seattle has been an enthusiastic partner, and as of November 2009, hazard reports for most types of hazards will be forwarded automatically to various departments within the city.

That's great news, and not only for those of us here in Seattle. We're setting up the infrastructure to make it easy to get your city or town involved. It's not rocket science, it's just connecting the dots.

How does it work and how can you help?

If you live in an area where we're already forwarding hazard reports, then when you submit a report on Bikewise, it gets immediately forwarded to one or more official contacts who have agreed to accept that type of report from us.

We still need your help following up on these reports. (We'll send you a reminder, unless you tell us not to.) If a hazard that you reported gets fixed, please log in and edit the report, updating its status. You can access your reports easily from your profile page.

If you don't live in an area where we're already forwarding reports, please be patient. We're not ready to expand to other areas yet, but we hope to be soon. And when we are, we'll be looking for volunteers to help us set it up. If you're registered on Bikewise, you'll be hearing from us.

Meanwhile, keep reporting hazards and spreading the word about Bikewise, so that when the time comes, we'll have something to show your city officials. And as much as possible, keep your hazard reports up-to-date as well, so that if a pothole gets fixed, or a bike lane re-striped, the status reflects that.