Pittsburgh Mobility and Infrastructure Division Receives a $ 100,000 Grant to Assist Eating places and Small Companies – CBS Pittsburgh

By: KDKA-TV News Staff

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – The Department of Mobility and Infrastructure of Pittsburgh has received a $ 100,000 grant to develop and implement a strategy to improve roadside pickup for short term parking to help restaurants and small businesses.

DOMI has worked with local restaurants and small businesses along with other community and business executives to develop a sidewalk, street parking, and street use strategy that will help businesses adapt to best health practices during the pandemic .

As more companies offer curb and take-out services, these small businesses and communities have stated that they need to develop a more efficient parking system in order for these services to work better.

Funding comes from Automotus, a technology company focused on mobility solutions. The project will control short-term parking zones that would function similarly to loading zones. They would be limited in time and allow those picking up groceries to park closer to the restaurant.

The hope is that this solution will enable these companies to generate faster and more consistent customer sales.

Automotus will offer a technology that uses a license plate reading camera on nearby power poles. These cameras track the time the vehicle is parked in the loading zone and charge it by the minute instead of the driver having to pay a longer time when they go to pick up an order.

DOMI and Automous hope to open the pilot zones in mid-2021 and will be in consultation with business executives, the Pittsburgh Parking Authority, restaurant owners and delivery services to determine where these locations are and how billing will be done.