Parking study finds shortage in RPP Zone Q; staff proposes hybrid permit conversions to offset removals

PITTSBURGH — As Department of Mobility and Infrastructure staff laid out design concepts for the Boundary Street/South Neville streetscape, a separate technical finding drew strong attention: a parking study that showed persistent pressure on Residential Parking Permit (RPP) Zone Q.

The study, staff said, recorded 17 active RPP permit holders and 48 available RPP‑designated spaces in Zone Q but reported an average utilization of 101 percent during sampled weekday windows, indicating over‑occupancy or nonpermit parking in the zone. Staff described a resident:non‑resident parked vehicle ratio observed in the visits as roughly 2 to 11 (resident:nonresident) as recorded in the study.

To accommodate the proposed street cross‑section—particularly where a climbing lane or other bike treatments would remove curbside parking—staff proposed removing eight spaces on the western side of Neville and identified roughly 12 metered spaces in nearby streets that could be converted to a hybrid RPP/meter arrangement (approximately six on Winthrop and six on Fillmore, as transcribed). Under the hybrid approach, permit holders may continue to park in those spaces while visitors would pay meters during enforcement hours; staff estimated that conversion could yield a net increase of about four permit‑accessible spaces.

“[The parking study] was more of a due diligence exercise as opposed to making a definitive recommendation,” Angie, a DOI staff member who spoke during Q&A, told attendees. She said any formal change to an RPP zone would require a public process, a Development Activities meeting, Planning Commission review and council action before implementation.

Residents said RPP Zone Q is small and that removing curbside parking could substantially affect permit holders who rely on a limited pool of spaces. Staff said they did not find opportunities to add spaces within the existing RPP geometry and emphasized that the hybrid conversion was offered as one potential mitigation measure to reduce the net impact.

What happens next: staff will include parking feedback in the plan revisions and said future RPP recommendations would follow a separate public process with enforcement and permit policy as part of the evaluation. The project survey on the Engage page remains open through April 8 for written comments and formal input on parking and other issues.