Torontonians made nearly half a million 311 service calls last year. Here were the most common complaints
Posted March 19, 2024 9:46 am.
Last Updated March 19, 2024 10:01 am.
Torontonians placed nearly half a million service calls to the city last year and damaged residential garbage bins appear to be the most common service problem plaguing residents.
A new report from 311 going before a special city hall committee on Tuesday reveals the most common complaints from residents, who made 487,000 service request calls in 2023.
Nearly 20,000 people called to complain about a damaged garbage bin lid — that number works out to more than 50 calls a day. About a third of 311 calls (32 per cent) throughout the year related to garbage or solid waste management.
Other common complaint topics include potholes, injured wildlife, picking up dead wildlife, property violations, and general pruning.
Most common 311 customer service requests in 2023
- Residential bin lid damaged – 19,781
- Road – pothole – 18,585
- Injured wildlife – 17,055
- Pick up dead wildlife – 15,380
- Property standards and maintenance violations – 15,231
- General pruning – 13,079
- Amplified sound – 9,308
- Residential – garbage day collection – not picked up – 9,159
- Residential oversized/electronics item day collection – not picked up – 8,438
- Residential bin body or handle damaged – 8,437
Each ward in the city had residents make at least 10,000 service request calls last year with areas in the west end and closer to Lake Ontario seeing more complaints.
Residents in Etobicoke-Lakeshore made the most amount of service requests at 29,536. That number was nearly three times more than Don Valley East, which saw the fewest at 11,232.
Garbage bin problems, dead or injured wildlife, and potholes were the most common complaint in most of the city’s 25 wards.
The only exceptions were Toronto Centre and York-South Weston where property violations were the most common service call, Spadina-Fort York where noise complaints led the way, and York Centre where motor vehicle noise calls took the top spot.
The 311 service aims to provide residents with 24/7 easy access to non-emergency services and information.
