T3._ Permit chargers in the right of way
Allow business and residents without off-street parking to install chargers in the city right-of-way.
A recent Carnegie Mellon study estimates that while approximately 79% of US households have off-street parking for at least some of their vehicles, only 56% of vehicles have a dedicated off-street parking space – and only 47% at a residence the driver owns.
Seattle did a study of neighborhood issues, “Removing Barriers to Electric Vehicle Adoption by Increasing Access to Charging Infrastructure”, and recently completed a two year pilot program. They have an evaluation report; at this point, the Seattle Department of Transportation is evaluating proposals for EV charging in the right-of-way on an as-needed basis and in alignment with citywide policy. The City also has a detailed guide for ground-floor residents without off street parking who want to to run a cord across the sidewalk under a low-angle cable ramp when they are charging their car at the curb. Seattle City Light now has a program for installing curb side chargers free for residents and property owners with suitable locations who request them; the utility will charge $0.2o/kWh for the power (and presumably claim credits under the State’s upcoming Clean Fuels program.)
Tacoma has a five year pilot program allowing property owners without off-street parking to install chargers in the right of way on non-arterial streets. (There’s also a flyer.)
New Orleans’s ordinance allows chargers in the right of way anywhere in the city for residential buildings without off street parking. Permits are $300, with an annual $100 renewal fee.
Berkeley has a pilot program, but only for properties where on-site opportunities for charging do not exist and cannot be created. Street parking adjacent to a curb-side charger remains accessible to all vehicles.
Philadelphia has cancelled its first program in response to neighbors’ complaints about providing reserved parking to some people (even though those people would presumably have been parking a car somewhere on the street even if they weren’t charging it.)
Los Angeles has installed 248 curbside chargers drawing power from streetlights’ circuits, and has also installed some on utility power poles; Kansas City has a pilot program; a number of other cities have done this as well, using electrical capacity that’s been freed up by converting the lights to LEDs.
It’s Electric, Inc. is a start-up installing sidewalk chargers that get power from the buildings they’re in front of. They will provide the infrastructure and will share the revenue from each charger with the building’s owner.