Overview

The City of Pittsburgh and Pittsburgh Parking Authority have implemented Smart Loading Zones as a new way to manage our curb space to increase delivery efficiency and decrease congestion and emissions.


The Mayor's Office is currently accepting public comment on this pilot program - please navigate below to the tab that says "Survey" and let us know your thoughts!

Locations

Rates

There is a five-minute grace period for short-term pick up and drop offs. After that, drivers will be billed by the minute, at the following rates:

Table showing rates for the service

Pilot Information

How does it work?

  • License plate reading technology will analyze real-time curbside activity and automate payment by the minute for the time a vehicle spends at the curbs. Registered users are billed by the minute for the exact time spent in the zone.
  • Smart Loading Zones are enforced 8am to 10pm Monday through Saturday and have a maximum loading time of 1 hour. DOMI is currently evaluating adjustments to the enforcement hours – stay tuned for updates!

How long is the pilot?

  • The Smart Loading Zones started as an initial one-year pilot. City Council extended the pilot for two additional years, moving the final pilot expiration to December 2024.

What are the anticipated outcomes of the pilot?

  • Align parking and loading policies with real-time data
  • Decrease emissions from unnecessary idling and circling
  • Reduce parking-caused traffic and double-parking
  • Increase parking turnover for restaurants and small businesses
  • Improve safety for pedestrians, cyclists, and other curb users
  • Increase delivery efficiency and reduce dwell time

What have the results been so far?

  • Average park duration has decreased by nearly 25%
  • Average double park duration has decreased by 40%
  • Turnover has increased by nearly 25%
  • Double park events have decreased month over month, upwards of 30%

FAQ

How do I register my vehicle?

How were locations selected?

  • Most smart loading zones were installed where there was previously a standard loading zone. Loading zones in commercial areas with a high density of businesses and a high demand for loading were ideal candidates. Additional considerations include the availability of on and off-street parking and the availability of needed electrical connections.

Privacy and Security

Unlike a surveillance system or traditional camera recording system, Automotus’s technology captures only three specific types of data:

  • De-identified sample image data to train the technology
  • De-identified traffic and curb activity metadata to inform smarter policies, and
  • Vehicle license plate information for the sole purpose of automatically processing parking payments

License plate information is the only form of personally identifiable information that Automotus collects and it never captures or shares this information for any purpose other than to facilitate automated payment.

For more information, you can review Automotus’s full policy on its website: https://www.automotus.co/privacypolicy

Important Links

Sign up for an account – app.automotus.io

Contact Automotus - partners@automotus.co

Automotus Customer Support – 714-769-8192

Autmotus Privacy Policy - https://www.automotus.co/privacypolicy

Survey