The Philadelphia Parking Authority announced it’s creating “smart loading zones.” These zones will be utilized in some of the city’s busiest areas but delivery drivers will have to pay to park in them. NBC10’s Shaira Arias breaks down the details.
The Philadelphia Parking Authority is taking aim at delivery drivers blocking Center City streets by using "cutting-edge, state-of-the-art cameras" to time how long someone is unloading a vehicle and fining them if they take longer than is allowed.
The PPA unveiled details of its new Smart Loading Zone Initiative on Wednesday, March 26, 2025.
The new Smart Loading Zones will be "equipped with cutting-edge, state-of-the-art cameras designed to monitor and time vehicles, and help ensure a smooth and timely turnover of loading and unloading vehicles and spaces," the PPA said.
"On any given day, our Center City streets are severely congested—often due to delivery vehicles parking wherever they can, whether legal or not," PPA Executive Director Rich Lazer said in prepared remarks. "We believe our Smart Loading Zone Initiative is a significant step toward resolving these issues, bringing delivery drivers into compliance, and reducing illegal parking that leads to daily gridlock."
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Similar camera programs -- run by Automotus -- in other cities like Pittsburgh, Miami, Houston, Nashville and others have been a success, with nearly a 95% reduction in double parking, the company said.
When will the PPA's new Smart Loading Zone Initiative begin?
The hope is that the new program leads to timely turnover in the loading zones.
Transportation and Transit
The new cams will be activated at 22 Center City locations on April 1, 2025, the PPA said. After a three-week warning period, loading zone fines will start to be issued on April 21.
What must delivery companies do to ensure they don't get nabbed?
The PPA is encouraging fleet and delivery companies to create a CurbPass account and to register vehicles.
"This will facilitate seamless operations and ensure vehicles are properly managed within the Smart Loading Zones," the PPA said.
On Wednesday, Lazer urged FedEx, Amazon, UPS and other carriers to get CurbPass.
While dropping off packages Wednesday, delivery driver Zafear Richards welcomed the new program: "This is great because we can be out of the way, trust and believe all we want to do is be out of the way."
What's CurbPass?
Here is how companies can enroll in the CurbPass program.
It will cost 10 cents a minute for up to an hour for vehicles registered in CurbPass to use a smart loading zone, the PPA said.
How much will people need to pay if they are caught too long in a Center City loading zone?
The cameras will be checking for CurbPass vehicles. A sign already up along Walnut Street on Wednesday said the enforcement would take place between 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. Monday to Friday.
Basically, if you don't have CurbPass be prepared to pay up during the specific timeframe.
"Without enrollment in CurbPass or exceeding the paid one hour limit, a vehicle will receive an electronic $51.00 fine after 3 minutes in a Smart Loading Zone," the PPA said.
Any driver who double parks next to a loading zone will get a $76 ticket, the PPA said.
What loading spots are going to be monitored for time spent?
The new Smart Loading Zones will run along stretches of Chestnut Street (between 11th and 20th streets), Sansom Street (between 12th and Broad Streets and 19th to 19th streets) and Walnut Street from 12th to 20th streets).
Here's a map, released by the PPA
Other streets could be added in the future.
Councilmember Mark Squilla helped sponsor the City Council bill that allowed the PPA to launch its smart zone plan. On Wednesday, the Democrat said he hopes the program is a success and winds up spreading to other commercial corridors.
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