San Antonio's city officials are banking on a new online tool to provide updates on the city's construction activities, launching a website with dashboards meant to showcase progress on public works projects. The city's Public Works Department revealed the tech-savvy initiative Thursday in a bid to offer residents a transparent look into ongoing construction, including 2017 and 2022 bond projects and non-bond-related street and drainage work, as reported by the San Antonio Report.
Not without its critics, the digital push in transparency comes after local business owners, particularly along North St. Mary’s Street, aired their grievances over past disruptions that hit both wallets and roadways hard, although the city assured it’s a solid stride towards greater clarity and the digital dashboards will be updated monthly, if not more frequently, according to the San Antonio Report.
The online portal includes a mix of interactive maps, charts and details regarding the scope, status, and budget of various projects and also features resources for businesses affected by the constructions, such as toolkits and contact avenues, Chad Carey, president of the North St. Mary’s Business Owners Association, told the San Antonio Report that while he appreciates the move towards increased communication, "The problem wasn’t that we didn’t have enough communication," pointing out the practical challenges businesses face when their storefronts become collateral in the unyielding march of progress.
District 5 Councilwoman Terri Castillo raises concerns about the digital divide, emphasizing the need to keep all citizens informed, regardless of internet access. She questions how the city plans to ensure everyone stays updated, as reported by the San Antonio Report.
In response, actions have been taken to stitch this digital breach, with the city's Chief Innovation Officer Brian Dillard citing the contract with AT&T aimed at connecting 28,000 locations across the city to high-speed internet – an infrastructural upgrade, meant to parallel these digital strides, as reported by Community Impact.
San Antonio's new portal signals a commitment to inclusive urban development. Public Works Director Razi Hosseini emphasizes ongoing improvement and welcomes community feedback. The dashboards, available at sanantonioreport.org and communityimpact.com, offer transparency in the city's transformation.
