Smart Loading Zones

to help Pittsburgh manage congestion and increase revenue for the benefit of all

Pilot Overview

• Pittsburgh has been awarded a $100,000 grant by Automotus to create more efficient and safe curbside loading zones. 
• Automotus technology will analyze real-time curbside activity, automate payment by the minute for the time a vehicle spends at the curb, and share real-time parking availability data with drivers via open APIs for 20 loading zones
• Each vehicle will be invoiced automatically based on its license plate information -- no app or meter needed. 

Why are we piloting smart loading zones?

Commercial delivery is growing at an unprecedented rate, leading to increased congestion, emissions, and safety hazards in urban areas.

Pre-pandemic estimates showed demand for e-commerce resulting in a 35% increase in commercial vehicles by 2030

• In 2020 alone, e-commerce grew by 44%
• Food and drink apps saw 64 million first-time downloads in the first two months of 2021

Smart Loading Zones give cities the opportunity to manage congestion in ways that benefit cities, businesses, residents, and fleets alike.

Anticipated Outcomes

• Align parking and loading policies with real-time data
• Decrease emissions from unnecessary idling and circling
• Reduce parking-caused traffic by 20% and double-parking by 60%
• Generate additional revenue from parking and loading
• Increase parking turnover for restaurants and small businesses
• Improve safety for pedestrians, cyclists, and other curb users
• Increase delivery efficiency and reduce dwell time

2022 Summary

In the first year of the pilot, we have found the following:

• 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%

Smart Loading Zone - 1st Year Summary Report

Where will the Smart Loading Zones be installed?

There are currently 20 Smart Loading Zones installed throughout the city. A map of the locations can be found here. More zones will be installed throughout 2023.

How long will the pilot last?

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.

I’m a delivery driver, how do I learn more about signing up to use the Smart Loading Zones?

Once the Smart Loading Zones are live, a driver can register their vehicle and payment. This one-time registration will enable automated payment for curb usage by the minute when your vehicle is at the Smart Loading Zone for the entirety of the pilot.  

If you are a fleet operator or larger company, you can email partners@automotus.co to inquire about registering your fleet in the Smart Loading Zones program. 

Privacy and Security

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

1. De-identified sample image data to train the technology
2. De-identified traffic and curb activity metadata to inform smarter policies, and
3. 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