GLOSSARY

Pick-Up/Drop-Off (PUDO) Zone

A PUDO zone is curb or off-street space dedicated to passenger loading for ride-hail, robotaxi, shuttle, and delivery activity. In a parking facility:

A CURB POCKET FOR THE HAND-OFF sidewalk PUDO pocket through lane stays clear
A pick-up/drop-off zone is a managed curb pocket where ride-hail, taxis, and now robotaxis make the hand-off, out of the moving lane. As curbside demand explodes, giving the drop-off its own space is what keeps it from happening in the travel lane and stalling the street. Illustrative.
  • Fleet-scale PUDO shifts loading from scattered curb friction to designed geometry: queue depth, pull-through movement, and pedestrian separation.

Considerations

  • PUDO demand peaks with events and dining, not just commutes. The PUDO zone is the front door of the AV era, and it must be drawn, not improvised.