Reporting problems in Palo Alto: PaloAlto311 and who to call

A cracked sidewalk, a streetlight that flickers all night, a tagged utility box, a mattress dumped by the creek: Palo Alto has a single front door for most of these. PaloAlto311 is the city's service request system. It runs on the web and through phone apps, logs your report with a tracking number and routes it to the right crew.

Not everything belongs there. Emergencies go to 911. Power and gas problems go to the city's utility, which has its own lines. Some roads in town are run by the state or the county. This guide explains how to use PaloAlto311 well and gives a quick table of who handles what. For an overview of the departments behind the scenes, see how city government works.

How PaloAlto311 works

The city's Report an Issue page describes PaloAlto311 as a service that gives residents, businesses and visitors access to city services 24 hours a day, seven days a week. There are three ways in:

• Online through the request form on the city website.
• iPhone and iPad through the PaloAlto311 app on the App Store.
• Android through the PaloAlto311 app on Google Play.

The city stresses that PaloAlto311 should not be used for emergencies. Nobody watches it in real time the way dispatchers watch 911 calls.

What you can report

The city lists these common categories, along with many more in the app:

Filing a report that gets fixed

1. Pin the exact location. Use the map or give an address. If there is no address, describe it the way the city suggests, for example the park name and what the fountain is next to.
2. Add a photo. The city strongly encourages one. A picture of a pothole with a shoe for scale tells the crew what equipment to bring.
3. Describe it briefly. One or two sentences: what is wrong, how big and whether it is a hazard.
4. Save your request number. You need it to add comments later or track progress online or in the app.
5. Decide about anonymity. You can report anonymously, but then you will not get the email confirmation the app sends.

The city does not publish target response times on its 311 page. Simple jobs like graffiti or a fallen branch often move faster than repairs that need scheduling, such as sidewalk replacement. If a request seems stuck, add a comment with your request number rather than filing a duplicate. The city also has a City Service Feedback page for comments about how a request was handled.

Common problems and where they go

Potholes and sidewalks

City streets and sidewalks go through PaloAlto311. Note which lane the pothole is in and whether it sits in a bike lane, since a hole in the bike lane is a bigger hazard for riders on routes like the Bryant Street bike boulevard. Our bike boulevards guide maps those routes.

Streetlights

Broken streetlights are a PaloAlto311 category. Look for a number tag on the pole and include it in your report. That pinpoints the light faster than an address.

Graffiti

Graffiti removal is a PaloAlto311 category. Report it quickly and include a photo so crews know the size and the surface. If graffiti includes threats or hate symbols, also call the non-emergency police line so officers can document it.

Street sweeping, leaves and noise

Missed sweeping routes go through PaloAlto311. Our street sweeping guide explains schedules and leaf season. Noise rules, including the ban on gas leaf blowers in residential areas, are covered in our leaf blowers and noise guide.

Abandoned vehicles

A city handout on reporting community concerns lists a separate abandoned vehicles page and the number (650) 329-2258. Parking problems and permits are covered in our parking permits guide.

Trash, recycling and bulky items

Missed garbage, recycling or compost pickups do not go through PaloAlto311. The city's contracted hauler, GreenWaste of Palo Alto, handles missed pickups, cart swaps, extra service and Clean Up Day scheduling at (650) 493-4894. Illegally dumped items on a street or in a park are a city matter, so report those through PaloAlto311 with a photo. Our trash and recycling guide covers schedules and sorting rules.

Code enforcement

Complaints about property conditions, such as overgrown lots, construction outside allowed hours, illegal signs or a business operating out of a home, go to the city's Code Enforcement staff. PaloAlto311 lists code enforcement as a category and the city's town hall handout says potential code violations can be reported there. Our noise guide also lists Code Enforcement's direct line, (650) 329-2605. Note dates and times. Specific details make a complaint easier for staff to follow up.

Utility outages and gas leaks

Palo Alto owns its electric, gas and water utilities, so outages go to the city, not PG&E. The city's outage page gives these instructions:

• Electric outage. Call (650) 496-6914 from the phone number tied to your utility account. If the line is busy, keep trying. Check the power outage map and the utility's account on X for updates. The utility also lets customers text OUT to the same number to report.
• Outage texts. Alerts go automatically to the mobile numbers on a utility account. Update your number in MyCPAU or call (650) 329-2161.
• Gas leak. If you smell gas, do not turn any lights or appliances on or off and do not search for the leak. Leave the area and call 911, or report it right away to the utility at (650) 329-2579.
• Gas meter shut off. Do not turn the gas back on yourself. Call (650) 329-2579.
• Water. The outage page does not list a separate water number. Call the utility's main lines or City Hall at (650) 329-2100 for a water main break or loss of service.

Our power outages guide covers backup power, medical devices and what to do when the lights stay off.

Police and safety

• Emergencies: call 911 for anything that threatens life or property right now.
• Non-emergency police: the 24-hour dispatch center at (650) 329-2413 handles noise disturbances, suspicious activity that is not urgent, parking blocking a driveway and similar calls.
• Police front desk: the Public Safety Building at 250 Sherman Avenue is staffed on weekdays. Our public safety guide lists hours and online reporting options.
• Animals: the same 24-hour dispatch line reaches Animal Control for strays, bites and injured animals. See our animal shelter guide.

Problems the city does not handle

A few roads and services in Palo Alto belong to other agencies. Reporting to them directly usually gets faster results, though the city can pass reports along.

The line between city and county roads is not always obvious where an expressway meets a city street. If you are unsure, file with PaloAlto311 and mention the cross street.

Frequently asked questions