Oakland residents have long complained about the city's infrastructure: After every winter, complaints about crumbling roadways and expiring streetlights reach critical mass.

This month, the city announced a new tool that will make it easier for many Oakland residents - and visitors - to report problems when they see them. 

New mobile app SeeClickFix - a map-based, geo-located tool that allows people to report issues such as illegal dumping, tags and broken street lights and have them cataloged and graphed on a map - is now part of the city's intake process for tracking things to fix.

All of the data sent in goes into the existing Public Works system database, where items are tracked and eventually resolved. If you have a smartphone, you can send photos with your complaints; the app is available on the web, on Oakland Local (where we have used it since 2009) and via apps for iPhone, Android and Blackberry phones.

According to founder Ben Berkowitz, the SeeClickFix platform is the most widely-distributed citizen reporting tool in the country, used in partnership with local government in more than 70 cities including Washington, D.C., Raleigh, N.C., Richmond, Va., New Haven, Conn. and Quincy, Mass.

Since implementing the tool, Oakland Public Works has seen weekly reports soar from an average of 113 posts per week to more like 500 in the first week.

“This tool allows every person in Oakland to become the eyes and ears of the city,” Public Works Director Vitaly Troyan said. "Problems can be reported more quickly and more accurately, and the system continues to follow the problem until it gets addressed."

Will this new tool get problems fixed faster? Not exactly.

According to the city, "With increasingly limited resources, Oakland Public Works crews cannot be everywhere." It sees SeeClickFix as a tool that can engage the community in improving Oakland’s infrastructure. (Translation: Volunteer work, anyone?)

Oakland Public Works encourages residents and businesses to report problems via SeeClickFix, by phone at (510) 615-5566, by email to pwacallcenter@oaklandnet.com or via the web at oaklandpw.com. For more information, visit oaklandpw.com or call (510) 615-5566.

To download the free mobile app, visit seeclickfix.com/apps or visit the iPhone App Store or Android Market.

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Publisher's Note: As of Feb. 20, the city of Oakland has updated the Public Works Report a Problem Page to direct citizens to this app, but it' below the fold and not very visible when you first go there. Maybe an anchor tag, folks?