SAN FRANCISCO (Map, News) - A new 24-hour hotline staffed by dozens of live operators will allow San Franciscans to access a vast array of city services and information — from finding the best Muni route to reporting a double-parked car — by calling a new 311 number.

Now up and running, the system will eventually replace the existing 2,300 numbers available to access city services, Mayor Gavin Newsom said, with all calls going through the new 311 number.

With 44 operators working out of a building at 1 South Van Ness Ave., Newsom promises that callers can reach a human being 24 hours a day with the potential to communicate — possibly through a contracted translator on a third phone line — in more than 145 languages.

A call to 311 can be used for such requests as information on Muni routes and schedules, graffiti removal, where to get a flu shot or contacting government offices, according to city officials.

Operators use a specially created computer program that guides them through the myriad requests and questions callers might have, popping up the appropriate computer screen of information and placing a tracking number on each call, which city officials say will guarantee that follow-up is done.

That data can also be used to see what services are most requested and where resources are needed most, Newsom said.

“This is more than just a switchboard for information,” Newsom said. “This system is a record management system that allows government to be more accountable, more transparent, and allows policymakers to govern The City in a more effective manner.”

The idea to route nonemergency city service calls through a three-digit hotline is not new. In the last decade, cities including New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Baltimore, Dallas and Minneapolis have implemented 311 systems.

The 311 number was endorsed by former President Clinton in 1997 and approved by the Federal Communications Commission in 1999 as a way to lighten the load on the 911 system. Newsom said more than half of San Francisco’s 911 calls are for nonemergencies.

The City expects approximately 80,000 calls per month initially, with volume growing over time as San Franciscans become more familiar with the services. A public awareness campaign is slated to begin this summer.

The City has spent $8.8 million during the last two years to get the system up and running, according to Heidi Sieck, who oversaw the creation of the 311 Customer Service Center. Another $11 million will be invested annually for the next several years, to fully implement the computerized system and expand its uses, according to Ben Rosenfield, the city official now directing the 311 program.

beslinger@examiner.com