Curbside Management to Tame Roadway Chaos

A pilot program in Columbus, Ohio, will help bring order to the city’s curbside space, a response to a mobility network that has become more complicated and crowded.

1 minute read

November 14, 2019, 12:00 PM PST

By Camille Fink


North High Street

LisaCarter / Shutterstock

"Columbus, OH introduced a new curbside management pilot program in partnership with mobility company curbFlow in a bid to address demand for deliveries and ride-hailing pick-ups and drop-offs," reports Chris Teale. The program will start next week and last for 12 months at nine locations in downtown Columbus and along a commercial corridor.

"Under the partnership, clearly marked Loading Management Zones (LMZs) will be added for use by commercial vehicles and private vehicles doing commercial work, like being used for ride-hailing. Drivers will use an app to reserve and check in and out of an LMZ," says Teale.

The goal of curbside management is to address issues such as double parking and blocked bike lanes and crosswalks. Other cities have also partnered with businesses to tackle the problem, notes Teale. "In Uber's collaboration with Cincinnati, for instance, it commissioned a curbside study and made a series of recommendations, including freeing up space by removing on-street parking and replacing it with a passenger pick-up and drop-off area, better enforcing loading zones and improving wayfinding and traffic control for motorists."

Friday, November 8, 2019 in Smart Cities Dive

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

June 11, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Metrorail train pulling into newly opened subterranean station in Washington, D.C. with crowd on platform taking photos.

Congressman Proposes Bill to Rename DC Metro “Trump Train”

The Make Autorail Great Again Act would withhold federal funding to the system until the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), rebrands as the Washington Metropolitan Authority for Greater Access (WMAGA).

June 2, 2025 - The Hill

Large crowd on street in San Francisco, California during Oktoberfest festival.

The Simple Legislative Tool Transforming Vacant Downtowns

In California, Michigan and Georgia, an easy win is bringing dollars — and delight — back to city centers.

June 2, 2025 - Robbie Silver

Color-coded map of labor & delivery departments and losses in United States.

The States Losing Rural Delivery Rooms at an Alarming Pace

In some states, as few as 9% of rural hospitals still deliver babies. As a result, rising pre-term births, no adequate pre-term care and harrowing close calls are a growing reality.

1 hour ago - Maine Morning Star

Street scene in Kathmandu, Nepal with yellow minibuses and other traffic.

The Small South Asian Republic Going all in on EVs

Thanks to one simple policy change less than five years ago, 65% of new cars in this Himalayan country are now electric.

3 hours ago - Fast Company

Bike lane in Washington D.C. protected by low concrete barriers.

DC Backpedals on Bike Lane Protection, Swaps Barriers for Paint

Citing aesthetic concerns, the city is removing the concrete barriers and flexposts that once separated Arizona Avenue cyclists from motor vehicles.

5 hours ago - The Washington Post