In the 80s and 90s, the 911 system in the US became overloaded with people calling to report things like wayward couches and double-parked cars—not emergencies, yet situations where city officials could help. In 1996, Baltimore successfully tested a system that diverted these requests to a separate number. In 1997, the FCC reserved “311” as a dedicated non-emergency number for US residents nationwide.
Source: Gizmodo – The App You’ve Never Heard of That’s Making Your City Better