Washington, D.C. is starting to permit delivery vehicles to save a spot at the curb ahead of their delivery time, as part of the testing of a new system, the Washington Post reported.
The pilot project, which started last week, is aiming to reduce double-parking that causes blockage of traffic and crosswalks in the city. It will continue for three months.
Drivers, including those driving private cars, can reserve curb space in nine different areas via the website of mobility company curbFlow.
The new move is also part of the Curbside Management Program, a new phase of which was announced by the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) in late June. The DDOT’s main goal with the program is to make better use of curb space.
The curbside pickup-dropoff (PUDO) program’s new innovation focuses on commercial activity. DDOT has been cooperating with curbFlow, which is conducting research and analyzing “the demand at nine locations throughout the District where commercial loading and PUDO activities for delivery services often leads to double parking and other dangerous behavior.”
Speaking to the Washington Post, a spokesperson for curbFlow stated that motorists are allowed to reserve space up to 30 minutes in advance and stay there as long as they are loading or unloading.
The District became one of the first cities to launch a passenger PUDO program to improve the safety of pickup dropoff activity in 2017, according to the DDOT.
“Allocating curbside space for PUDO activities allows for safe loading and unloading by restricting parking in the designated zones. By removing parking, passenger and commercial loading can occur directly at the curb, and out of travel lanes,” the DDOT explained in a previous press release.
“DDOT is continually exploring innovative ways to address safety on our streets, and reduce traffic congestion. By exploring new curbside management options through this partnership with curbFlow, DDOT is able to keep traffic flowing, maximize efficiency of our curbside space, and make data-driven decisions about next steps,” said DDOT Director Jeff Marootian.