Pittsburgh officials look to tweak controversial purple curb loading zone program

Pittsburgh officials are considering tweaks to the city’s smart loading zone pilot program after some local business owners voiced concerns the new initiative was a hindrance.

City officials have touted the smart loading zones — which are marked with purple-painted curbs and matching signage — as a way to make it easier for delivery drivers to quickly get in and out of parking spots outside of businesses.

The program launched in April 2022 with a $100,000 grant from Los Angeles-based Automotus. It was first unveiled in the city’s Central Business District as a one-year initiative. City Council then extended it for three years and expanded the program’s footprint into Oakland and Squirrel Hill.

The smart loading zones were meant to keep people from lingering in those spots for too long, according to city officials.

They used a graduated payment system, which started at seven cents per minute for the first five minutes and went up to 27 cents per minute for cars that parked between 30 and 60 minutes.

Some business owners have voiced concerns that the costs hindered their abilities to unload large deliveries and deterred customers from stopping by their shops and restaurants.

In response to those concerns, city officials introduced legislation to City Council Tuesday that would revamp the fee structure. If the legislation is approved, the smart loading zones would have a 15-minute free grace period before vehicles are charged.

Vehicles that park from 16 to 30 minutes will be charged the hourly metered rate, which is $4 in Downtown, $3 in Oakland and the Strip District and $2 in Squirrel Hill and Lawrenceville. Cars parked from 31 minutes to an hour will be charged double the hourly metered rate, and vehicles parked for up to two hours would be charged three times the metered rate.

“Changes to the smart loading zone pilot program is a result of this administration listening and understanding the concerns of residents,” Olga George, a spokesperson for Mayor Ed Gainey, said in a statement.

She acknowledged the fee structure was one of the concerns.

The changes also will ensure the maximum parking duration will match the parking duration allowed at surrounding street parking, George said.

“This will make it easier for businesses who have large deliveries the time frame to unload safely,” she said.

Data gathered from the pilot program so far indicated that about 55% of people who park in the smart loading zone park for less than 15 minutes, according to a memo from the Department of Mobility and Infrastructure. Less than 5% of smart loading zone users stay there for between one and two hours.

The measure also would revamp enforcement. Initially, the smart loading zones were enforced Monday through Saturday from 5 a.m. till 10 p.m. At the start of this year, DOMI adjusted the hours to 8 a.m. till 10 p.m. to incentivize loading at early morning off-peak times.

As part of the latest proposed changes, DOMI is looking to match the smart loading zone enforcement hours to metered parking enforcement hours, which run from 8 a.m. till 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

DOMI also is planning to add additional signage displaying the rates for each zone.

According to the DOMI memo, officials are anticipating that the changes may “slightly decrease overall revenue” but will make the pilot program “more equitable for business owners and drivers.”

DOMI estimated that total revenue from the existing 47 smart loading zones is about $380,000 per year, with about $8,500 more for each new zone.

Revenue is shared between Automotus, the Pittsburgh Parking Authority and the city.

Related:

• Pittsburgh implements new parking zones for delivery drivers

• Pittsburgh extends 'smart loading zone' program for delivery drivers for 3 years

• Some Squirrel Hill business owners miffed over newly painted purple curbs — here's why