“Curb management” isn’t a new term for members of the parking and mobility profession, but it is hitting consumer media outlets for the first time. The Wall Street Journal this weekend called the space along the curb “new gridlock in America,” and outlined why delivery trucks in particular are contributing to city congestion and what those companies are trying to do about it.
“Simply put, the curb today in most American cities is overwhelmingly devoted to single-occupancy personal-vehicle parking, which is simply unsustainable,” the piece quotes a UPS spokesman as saying. It discusses recent curb management pilot programs in several cities along with steps delivery companies are taking–including bike-powered deliveries, locker pickups, and simple truck consolidation–to help manage congestion at the curb.