Help make our streets safe in practice, not just on paper.

No. You should still use Provo 311 to report hazards, maintenance problems, or things the city needs to fix, such as potholes, broken signals, damaged signs, debris, or blocked infrastructure.

ProvoStreets.watch has a different purpose. We are not primarily trying to identify isolated maintenance issues. We are trying to document places where the system may technically be working “on paper,” but where people are still consistently experiencing unsafe, blocked, stressful, or inaccessible conditions in practice.

A 311 report helps the city respond to a specific issue. A ProvoStreets.watch report helps show recurring patterns across time, place, behavior, and responsible parties.

We will leave that up to you, but for what it’s worth, the author regularly reminds his kids that “snitches get stitches” and is firmly anti‑tattling.

Our goal is not to report individual people to police or parking enforcement. The point is to find hotspots where problems keep showing up and to contact the people who can fix the pattern: city staff, schools, property owners, employers, or delivery partners.

That may lead to more targeted enforcement in that area, but the aim is also better options and design: clearer signage, safer street layouts, loading or drop‑off space, or other practical changes that reduce the problem in the first place.

Drivers need practical places to make deliveries, but Provo prohibits stopping, standing, or parking in bike lanes. There is no delivery exception. Limited exceptions cover avoiding traffic conflicts or complying with law, police directions, or traffic-control devices. Provo City Code § 9.31.010

Even a short stop can force someone biking to merge into moving traffic, where an approaching driver may not expect them or leave enough room. They may have to brake suddenly or wait for a safe gap. For a child or less confident rider, a blocked bike lane can make an otherwise manageable route feel unsafe.

Our reports are not about getting individual drivers in trouble. When reports establish a recurring pattern, we intend to contact employers about the law, the safety risks, and potential liability. We will ask them to clarify these expectations with all employees and arrange deliveries so bike lanes stay clear.

Sometimes you should. But street safety problems are not always simple city maintenance issues, and it is not always obvious who is responsible or who is best positioned to act.

A blocked bike lane might involve parking enforcement, police, a delivery company, an employer, or a recurring driver behavior. Some roads are controlled by the city, while others may involve the county, UDOT, private property, or another responsible party. A public comment at City Council may raise awareness, but it may not create a clear action item for the people who can fix the problem.

Individual reports can also be easy to miss, especially when city staff are busy or when the issue is intermittent. A clear dataset with locations, photos, dates, hazard types, and multiple reports from different people makes the problem harder to ignore and easier to act on.

The goal is not to replace direct contact with the city. The goal is to make reports more useful, better documented, and easier to route to the people who can actually do something.

The most useful thing you can do is simple: get outside, use Provo’s streets, sidewalks, trails, crossings, and bikeways, and make reports when you see temporary or persistent conditions that feel unsafe.

Reports from people using the system in daily life are the core of this project. They help show where infrastructure is working, where it is failing, and where repeated unsafe behavior is creating real barriers for people.

If you want to do more, send us a note. Tell us what you are interested in, what you are good at, or what kinds of street safety problems you care most about. There may be ways to help with reporting, outreach, speed studies, walk and bike audits, school‑area safety, data review, communications, or other practical projects. Email admin@provostreets.watch.