Pittsburgh adds grace period to controversial purple curb parking program

Pittsburgh’s controversial smart loading zone program is set to be revamped after some local residents and business owners expressed confusion and frustration over the new initiative.

The smart loading zones, marked with purple-painted curbs and matching signs, were meant to make it easier for delivery drivers to get in and out of parking spots outside local businesses, city officials said when the program launched in spring 2022. The idea was to keep people from lingering in smart loading zones for too long and increase turnover to make it easier for people to park.

Some business owners, however, voiced concerns that the associated costs made it difficult to unload large deliveries and deterred customers.

Initially, the smart loading zones used a graduated payment system. It 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.

After hearing community concerns, city officials have changed the program to revamp the fee structure. The smart loading zones now have a 15-minute free grace period before vehicles are charged, under legislation approved Tuesday.

Vehicles that park from 16 minutes 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. Vehicles parked from 31 minutes to an hour will be charged double the hourly metered rate. Cars parked for up to two hours will be charged three times the metered rate.

The measure also tweaked enforcement. Initially, smart loading zones were enforced Monday through Sunday from 5 a.m. till 10 p.m. It was later changed to 8 a.m. till 10 p.m. to incentivize loading at early morning off-peak times.

The most recent changes will 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.

City Council unanimously approved the changes on Tuesday. Council members Bruce Kraus, D-South Side, and Barb Warwick, D-Greenfield, were not present for the vote.

Related:

• Pittsburgh officials look to tweak controversial purple curb loading zone program

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

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