Pittsburgh City Council on Monday voted to indefinitely extend the city’s smart loading zone program, which aims to encourage drivers to get in and out of parking spots quickly, freeing them up for the next car.
Designated with purple curbs and matching signs, the smart loading zones use graduated payment systems that make quick stops cheaper but tack on additional costs for drivers who monopolize sought-after spots.
City officials have touted the initiative as a way to make it easier for delivery drivers and others who need to park only briefly to find spots without double parking or leaving their cars blocks away.
The program has drawn the ire of some business owners who have said the increased costs for longer-term parking hinders their ability to unload large deliveries and deters some potential customers from shopping or eating at local businesses.
The smart loading zone program — which launched as a pilot in the Central Business District in April 2022 before expanding to other parts of the city — has been tweaked in response to such concerns.
Now, the first 15 minutes are free. Vehicles parked between 16 and 30 minutes are 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 are charged double that rate, and vehicles parked for up to two hours pay three times the metered rate.
Angie Martinez, assistant director of the city’s Department of Mobility and Infrastructure, highlighted the program’s successes during a budget hearing earlier this month.
Martinez said there was a 75% increase in people parking for less than 15 minutes in those spots in 2024. That means drivers are using the spots within the free grace period and then moving on so someone else can park there.
Areas with smart loading zones have also seen a 95% reduction in double-parking, she said.
“Our streets are actually safer as a result of better curbside management practices,” Martinez said.
