With support from the Fund, What’s Up Worcester News analyzed more than 90,000 service requests from residents and found that – while the city data is limited – requests from lower-income areas take longer to resolve. The story grew out of repeated community concerns about neighborhood conditions, including potholes, street signs, traffic signals and sanitation, and broader questions about whether residents in different parts of Worcester experience city services differently. Requests from lower-income areas took three days to resolve on average, compared with two days in the highest-income areas. Some service categories showed larger differences. Requests about new or missing street signs were resolved within 41 days in the lowest-income areas, compared with 27 days in the highest-income areas.
Investigation shows that city takes longer to close 311 requests from lower-income areas
