Drivers in Center City know that being stuck behind a delivery truck on the city’s crowded one-way streets can cause quite the headache.
It's one of the reasons why Philadelphia officials announced the launch of a six-month pilot program that will turn nearly two dozen loading zones into temporary parking spots to book online.
In two weeks, the SmartCityPHL project called “Smart Loading Zones,” in partnership with Google, will monitor 21 designated spots in Center City where drivers or couriers can use an app to reserve parking time.
“We’re actually, what feels to me, like the leading edge of what technology can do, in terms of managing our curb space with this pilot,” said Mike Carroll with Philadelphia's Transportation, Infrastructure and Sustainability office. “We’re not the first city to do this, but we’re one of the largest cities.”
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Through the pilot program drivers can use the Pebble Driver app to reserve an open spot when they’re 15 minutes away. They can only park up to one hour, which will cost $3. And it’s not only trucks that can reserve the spaces.
“Citizens can use it. All you have to do is just log in to the app. You just need to up a payment method, and you should be good to use it,” Akshay Malik of Philadelphia’s Smart Cities told NBC10.
Authorities said it’s an effort to avoid illegal parking, keep traffic moving and preserve safety.
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“We’re trying to solve congestion and find more information,” said Malik.
There will be six locations on Chestnut Street, three on Sansom Street, and 12 on Walnut Street, according to the city's map.
The Center City program goes into effect on Monday, Oct. 17 and ends in April of 2023.
If the pilot program prives to be a success after the six months, the city will consider making it permanent, officials said.
