Montreal replaces INFO-Neige with new snow alert app

Montreal Ends Support for INFO-Neige App

After over 500,000 downloads in ten years, the City of Montreal has stopped backing the INFO-Neige app.

City spokesperson Guillaume Rivest stated that Montreal is launching its own app, 311 Montréal. This app will provide alerts for snow-removal operations and allow users to report city infrastructure issues.

Previously named Montréal – Services aux citoyens, the app was updated and renamed 311 Montréal in December. Rivest described it as “a simple and free solution to interact with the city.”

New App Launch and Features

The 311 Montréal app is available on Apple and Android. Since its launch last month, it has received about 67,365 downloads.

Rivest noted, “Those are good numbers and it shows there is public interest for it and people are engaging with it.”

When asked about the cost of developing an in-house app, Rivest explained that the contract with INFO-Neige’s company ended. The city aimed to “simplify the citizen experience” by integrating features from INFO-Neige into its new app.

Background on INFO-Neige

Gregory Cerallo is a co-founder of Sidekick Interactive, the company that created INFO-Neige. This app was developed during a hackathon in Montreal. The goal was to make snow-removal information accessible to residents.

Cerallo recalled that there were 80 teams at the hackathon, with many apps featuring numerous options. “Our team took the opposite approach,” he said.

He added, “We just thought, ‘what does someone actually want when it is snowing and they are trying to figure out if their street has been cleared?’”

Financial Aspects and Future Plans

INFO-Neige was financially supported by the city with about $75,000. Cerallo mentioned, “It’s a drop in the bucket compared to the $200 million that they spend on snow removal.”

He noted that during a single snowstorm, there could be millions of server requests. Due to server and team costs, the app will now cost $4.99 per season without city support.

“No bad feelings here. They promoted the app and I think they enjoyed it for 10 years,” Cerallo said.

Transition to Other Cities

The INFO-Neige app will now be used by other Quebec cities, including Westmount, Laval, and Terrebonne, where it will remain free.

Cerallo mentioned that the company is in discussions with cities that have outdated parking policies. He explained that some cities have blanket parking bans that last for days, even when snow removal is done in sections.

As for the future of the paid app in Montreal, Cerallo stated that the company will review the numbers at the end of the season. He noted that many users have opted to subscribe.