New Broadway chatbot aimed at better construction communication

As major road construction projects continue across San Antonio, the city is sharing information about one project with the help of a chatbot.

What's happening: Passersby can access the new Talkin' Broadway chatbot by sending a text message or scanning QR codes placed along lower Broadway downtown.

• That begins a two-way conversation in English or Spanish on construction updates and schedules for lower Broadway, access to small businesses' sites, city staff contact information and more.

Why it matters: City staff and elected officials have taken heat from business owners and residents frustrated by lengthy road construction, which has sometimes blocked access to small businesses across the city.

• The chatbot is part of the city's efforts to better communicate with people about construction, a key lesson that arose from a lack of public updates on delays with the St. Mary's Strip project.

Context: Major street reconstruction projects will continue for the foreseeable future. San Antonio's five-year bond programs used to tackle large infrastructure projects have grown.

• Projects along South Alamo Street in Southtown and Roosevelt Avenue on the South Side have already attracted concerns about business access and project delays, respectively.

What they're saying: "Talkin' Broadway isn't just a chatbot. It's a conversation starter, bringing us closer to our community and transforming the way the city connects with visitors and residents," Brian Dillard, San Antonio's chief innovation officer, said in a statement.

By the numbers: The city spent about $14,000 on a one-year contract with Hello Lamp Post for the technology, Brian Chasnoff, assistant director of infrastructure communications, tells Axios.

Details: The chatbot can direct a downtown visitor looking for a cup of coffee or provide information to a nearby business owner who wants to know how long an intersection will be closed, Chasnoff says.

• To interact with the chatbot, text "Hello SA 3" to 210-802-2265.

How it works: The city will collect anonymous data on the number of conversations and users, as well as what they're saying to inform improvements to the technology, Chasnoff says.

• It does not collect personal information.

The intrigue: Officials will also have access to data about whether people feel negatively, neutrally or positively about the construction, based on the text conversations.

• "It actually analyzes sentiment," Chasnoff tells Axios.

Of note: The chatbot does not use artificial intelligence.

The big picture: While the chatbot is the first project of its kind for the city, it's part of the Smart Cities Roadmap, using technology and innovation in local government to solve problems.

• The Smart Cities team has overseen 30 pilot projects since 2018.

Zoom in: Dillard says completed Smart Cities pilots include:

• Digital kiosks offering Wi-Fi and resources around the city
• A smart farm at the Young Women's Leadership Academy
• The food forest at Padre Park
• The city's COVID-19 data dashboard, which has since been scaled back
• And a smart streetlight program that gathered data on heat, air quality, noise pollution, flooding and parking to address neighborhood concerns.

What's next: The $42 million lower Broadway project is expected to be completed next summer. It includes updated curbs, sidewalks, pedestrian lighting, landscaping, underground drainage and more.

• If the city determines the chatbot pilot is successful, it will be used for other high-profile construction projects across San Antonio.

The bottom line: "This is geared toward meeting people on the ground and getting them answers immediately," Chasnoff tells Axios.