Priority Parking for Hybrid & Electric Vehicles

• Author: Kyler Massner
• Pages: 80-83

80 Sustainable Development Code: Climate Change

PRIORITY PARKING FOR

HYBRID & ELECTRIC VEHICLES

Kyler Massner (author)

Jonathan Rosenbloom & Christopher Duerksen (editors)

INTRODUCTION

Local governments can remove barriers, create incentives, or make require-

ments that encourage the adoption of hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) and

electric vehicles (EVs). Barriers preventing wide-scale adoption of HEV and

EV technology include inecient permitting processes and inaccurate cat-

egorization of uses within the development code. Incentives such as free or

reduced parking, or requirements such as priority park ing minimums, can

encourage the adoption of HEVs or EVs. In addition, such programs may cre-

ate public awareness that works to educate and change purcha sing behaviors.

e lack of available EV infrast ructure (i.e. charging stations) is a contrib-

uting factor in the rate of HEV and EV adoption. e lack of EV infra struc-

ture is partly a resu lt of barriers embedded within the development code.1

One such barrier is the improper categorization of EV infrastructure.2 Ma ny

local ordinances place electric charging stations in the same category as tra-

ditional gas stations. is c ategorization requires electric charging stations to

have the same facilities and sa fety devices of traditional gas stations. In addi-

tion, this categorization prohibits them from many zoning districts which

they would be most often used.3 By accurately categorizing and dening EV

infrastructure as dierent than traditional gas stations, local governments

can remove barriers that impede investment and expa nd the availability of

EV infrastructure.

Local governments may also consider creating incentives by establishing

priority parking programs or requiring minimum priority parking st alls that

encourage the adoption of HEVs and EVs. Priority parking programs are

exible and able to take advantage of existing parking infrastructu re with

little to no additional costs for local government.4 Incentives can be either

non-monetar y or monetary.5 Non-monetary incentives are benets such as

parking near entranc es, while monetary incentives include discounted or free

parking rates for owners of HEVs and EVs.6 Such regulations can stipulate