PHILADELPHIA – As of October 2008, the City of Philadelphia — through the managing director’s office — is initiating new policies on vehicle assignment, usage, and parking that will reduce the number of take-home vehicles, overall fleet size, and decrease City employee parking in Center City, both on-street and in garages.

Authorized City employee parking on both sides of 15th Street between Arch and JFK Boulevard will be eliminated and replaced with metered parking, making it easier for customers driving to the Municipal Services Building and City Hall; the City is partnering with the Philadelphia Parking Authority who will install modern, multi-space meters on this block.

In the short-term, a reduction in the number of vehicles being taken home every night of 200 is expected, which should save more than $200,000 annually on fuel costs. Currently, approximately 650 City vehicles go home every night.

Underutilized vehicles will be relinquished and sold at auction or used as replacement vehicles in other assignments. Implementation of these policies and the continued and expanded use of car sharing will enable the City of Philadelphia to contain and reduce fleet size and costs.

Going forward, these new policies are expected to generate fleet reductions in the range of 200-500 vehicles and facilitate $1.2 to $2.3 million in annual savings in fuel, parking, acquisition, and maintenance. The City currently owns and operates approximately 6,000 vehicles and pieces of equipment.

The new policies and procedures assign take-home vehicle privileges to those with significant and frequent emergency responsibilities after hours and on weekends. Parking in Center City will be provided to City employees who need a vehicle for their work responsibilities.