Service Plans One Touch Away for L.A. Residents, Thanks to New App

The beauty of smartphone applications is the time they save, as information and is placed at your fingertips. The Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety (LADBS) has made it even easier to perform less glamorous tasks, such as making service requests, thanks to the launch of LADBS Go.

The app, available for both iOS and Android, allows users to access permits and inspection records, report violations, locate the closest service centers and, much to users’ delight, find out how long the wait will be at each center. LADBS Go has been available since last week, the Los Angeles Daily News reports, and it’s part of Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti’s initiative to simplify life through the use of local government services.

Garcetti touched on LADBS Go’s clear advantages, saying it “saves you time, it saves you hassle, and hopefully saves you money.” As part of Garcetti’s continued interest in using technology to make life easier for Los Angeles residents, a website that clearly explains L.A.’s parking rules has launched, and city departments will share their data online.

The service and updates aspects of the app are reminiscent of features that can be found on New York City’s neighborhoods.nyc websites. In addition to receiving transportation information from New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority, users can access 311 to make payments or complaints.

LADBS Go and neighborhoods.nyc represent the point at which service and technology intersect to make lives easier. Users should appreciate the effort to make this happen as much as they do the capabilities of the technology.