Philadelphia is shrinking the rideshare virtual border around FIFA Fan Festival

The city is rolling back its geofence border around FIFA Fan Festival to reduce the number of residential areas blocked from using rideshare.

The Office of Transportation and Infrastructure Systems (OTIS) announced Thursday that it would shrink the geofence to avoid large residential buildings on Pennsylvania Avenue.

The geofence, which blocks people within its borders from using rideshare services like Uber and Lyft, will now shrink to the south of Aspen Street, about half a block from its original border at 25th and Meredith Streets.

“We’re continuing to work with the community, elected officials, and operational partners to improve the experience for everyone, including residents impacted by Lemon Hill festivities,” said an OTIS spokesperson.

Additionally, there were previously four blocks in Fairmount designated for rideshare pickups and drop-offs, but OTIS is reducing rideshare zones to two, allowing for more parking for permitted residents.

The rideshare pickup/drop-off zones are now only located near Eastern State Penitentiary at 23rd Street and Fairmount Avenue, and the 2200 block of Fairmount Avenue.

This is well-received news for residents who live in the area and have been concerned about the geofence’s restriction on residents with mobility issues.

Paul Stewart, an 86-year-old resident who lives in one of the large apartment buildings that was initially geofenced, relies on Uber to visit his doctor at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. But last week, when he planned to head to an appointment, he found that he couldn’t call a rideshare.

“The geofence that includes my building and all the businesses in the immediate area will continue for 39 days,” Stewart said before the geofence rollback. “Many people take Uber to and from the restaurants and bars in this neighborhood so that they can have a few drinks and not worry about driving drunk.”

Geofencing these large residential buildings and blocks was hindering everyday life, Stewart said. Now, he said, other residents will be able to go about their business as they normally would.

The geofence reduction is just one of the adjustments the city has been making as it manages the traffic and fans around the FIFA Fan Festival in Lemon Hill. Since at least May, residents have been requesting traffic calming measures on residential blocks. PPA and OTIS installed additional barricades and signage last week.