City of Seattle, WA

11/20/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 11/20/2024 18:52

Reporting bike facility maintenance issues is now easier than ever with Seattle’s Find It, Fix It app

"eBroomer" - SDOT's all-electric bike lane sweeper - clears a protected bike lane of leaves along S Dearborn St in Seattle. Photo: SDOT

Blog stats: 1,300 words | 6-minute read

At-a-glance:

  • Download the Find It, Fix It app to report maintenance needs you encounter on Seattle's bike facilities with a new "Bike Facility Maintenance" category.
  • From bike lane obstructions and sweeping needs to missing bike lane signs and markings, you can help be our eyes and ears to keep the city's expanding bike network in good shape.
  • We also recently added a "Snow & Ice" category to Find It, Fix It as we head into the winter months to help you report maintenance needs during and after a winter storm.
  • Your insights help our team identify issues, but we can't be everywhere at once. We respond to service requests we receive as quickly as possible while balancing crew and equipment availability, the urgency of each request, and other ongoing maintenance work taking place across the city's transportation network. We appreciate your patience.
  • This blog post also features some of our ongoing work to strengthen Seattle's bike and scooter network to support you in getting around the city all year long.

The Seattle Department of Transportation is making it even easier for Seattle cyclists to enjoy safe, smooth rides around the city. We're excited to introduce the new Bike Facility Maintenance category on the Find It, Fix It app - a powerful tool for reporting and addressing infrastructure issues. Here's everything you need to know about this helpful new addition and how it's designed to support Seattle's growing community of cyclists.

About the Find It, Fix It App

"Find It, Fix It" is a smartphone app offering mobile users one more way to report specific issues to the City of Seattle. With Find It, Fix It, reporting an issue is as easy as snapping a photo with your smartphone, adding a few key details, and hitting submit. The map's "drag and drop" feature or the phone's technology can be used to pinpoint the location. By using this app, you're helping keep our neighborhoods clean, safe, and accessible for everyone.

Android users can download the app from the Google Play Store and iPhone users can download it from the App Store, or you can learn more on our website.

[Link]A smartphone user taps to report an issue to the City of Seattle. Photo credit: City of Seattle

What You Can Do with the Bike Facility Maintenance Category

Whether you're an avid cyclist or a casual rider, here's how the new Bike Maintenance category can benefit you:

1. Report Broken or Damaged Bike Facilities

If you notice missing posts, potholes, or debris in bike lanes, you can now more easily report these issues. Select the Bike Maintenance category, provide a quick description, and upload a photo to help City maintenance crews respond more efficiently.

2. Flag Missing or Damaged Signs or Markings

Clear signage is part of safe cycling routes. If a sign or lane marking is missing, unreadable, or damaged, report it through the app to help keep bike facilities clearly marked.

3. Report Obstructions

Sometimes, bike lanes can be blocked by construction equipment, a fallen tree, or other obstacles. With the new category "Path partially obstructed by object/material," you can quickly flag obstructions, so the City can respond and clear the path for cyclists.

If you notice a vehicle blocking a bike lane, please contact Seattle's Community Assisted Response and Engagement (CARE) department directly at (206) 625-5011.

4. Request Sweeping

Debris like leaves, glass, or branches in bike lanes are challenging for safe and reliable travel. Request sweeping services for specific bike lanes or paths to ensure they stay safe and clean.

5. Submit Other Feedback

SDOT has provided an option for "Other Maintenance Issue" to capture anything we may have missed.

For stolen bikes, please report the theft to the Seattle Police Department. For more information on keeping your bike safe, visit: Keep Your Bike Safe.

For needles in a bike lane, please select the Illegal Dumping/Needles service category.

For standing water on a bike lane, please select the Clogged Storm Drain service category.

How to Use the Bike Maintenance Category

Android users can download the app from the Google Play Store and iPhone users can download it from the App Store.

  1. Open the Find It, Fix It App - If you haven't downloaded it yet, it's available on both iOS and Android.
  2. Select the Bike Facility Maintenance Category - Choose this category from the main menu when reporting a bike-related issue.
  3. Provide Details - Describe the issue, add photos if possible, and specify the location.
  4. Submit - Once you've submitted, the City's team will review your request and work on getting it resolved.

More Ways to Report - New Snow & Ice category

There are many more service request categories available in the Find It, Fix It app, from reporting clogged storm drains to park maintenance to a lost pet. For a full list, please visit our website.

One we'd like to highlight is the new Snow & Ice category. As we head into winter, the chances of lowland snow and cold, icy conditions increase. When winter storms hit, you can use this category to report conditions you encounter and want to bring to the City's attention.

It may take us longer than usual to respond to potholes and other service requests during severe weather because the crew members who fill potholes are the same people who work day and night during storms to drive snow plows, shovel snow, clear landslides, and respond to flooding. When we're faced with multiple challenges, we prioritize our work to promote public safety.

For more information and resources, please visit SDOT's Winter Weather Response website or the City of Seattle's Winter Storm Response website. Please remember that it is the responsibility of property owners to clear the sidewalks in front of their home or business after a snow storm. Thank you.

Making Seattle More Bike-Friendly

Our team at SDOT works year-round to expand, maintain, and modernize our network of bike and scooter facilities in neighborhoods all across the city. You can learn more about this work on our Bike Program website. From larger capital projects to smaller crew-delivered safety upgrades, our team is dedicated to continuing this work today and in the future.

Here are links to just a few projects in progress, recently completed, or coming up that you can learn more about. This is not an exhaustive list of SDOT's bike and scooter projects. Many of these projects are funded by the voter-approved Levy to Move Seattle. Thank you, Seattle!

We also sweep protected bike and scooter lanes on an ongoing basis to keep them clear and accessible. You can read more about eBroomer, our all-electric bike lane sweeper, in this previous blog post.

[Link]A person bikes along the recently upgraded 4th Ave protected bike lane through downtown Seattle. Photo: SDOT

Thank You

This new customer service request category is just one of the ways Seattle is working to support a safe, sustainable, and enjoyable cycling experience. We're excited to see how the cycling community uses the Bike Facility Maintenance category to help keep Seattle moving forward.

We can't solve a problem that we don't know about. You can help us keep bike lanes clear, safe, and accessible by notifying us of problems you see using the Find It, Fix It App. Thank you.