Health Dept. may put bar codes on restaurant letter grades to access inspection information
Wednesday, February 23rd 2011, 4:00 AM
Matthews/AP
The Health Department's restaurant letter grades may soon come with bar codes that can be scanned by cell phones, allowing diners to see the violations behind the establishment's rating. "The Health Department is exploring the possibility of putting bar codes on restaurant letter grades that would take consumers directly to a restaurant's latest [inspection] results," spokeswoman Erin Hughes said.
The Health Department puts the details behind the A, B or C grades online, but bar codes would make that information easily accessible at a restaurant's door.
It's among a host of efforts the city is considering as it looks for ways to put more information in people's palms.
"People can communicate and get information in ways that they never could before," Mayor Bloomberg said yesterday.
Hizzoner announced that the Buildings Department is putting bar codes on construction permits so people with smart phones can access details about the project, the building and whether its owner has been fined for code violations.
Bloomberg said he'd like to expand bar codes to other city functions like helping tourists get information about attractions.
"This is just the beginning," the mayor said. "Once you get this to work, there's an awful lot of things and we're committed to do that."
The Sanitation Department has bar codes on the sides of its trucks that take people to an ad about recycling.
And Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe said he'll look into using bar codes to help people book playing time at tennis courts or ball fields. He also suggested bar codes near statues to give people information about sculptors.
"We're always exploring new technology," Benepe said. "The question is what technology do you invest in that won't be outmoded in six months?"
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