Public Information Meetings for Charge Erie – EV Charging Project Near Buffalo, New York

Lanny

Scheduled for August 24, 25 & 26, 2021

EV charging station in Chestnut Ridge Park in Erie County, NY

There’s a beautiful EV charging spot on top of a hill that overlooks the city of Buffalo in Erie County, New York. Mark Czajka, Director of MD Volt, Inc., told us about this charging station at Chestnut Ridge Park and we recently had an opportunity to plug in there while on an EV road trip.

Besides the beautiful view and interesting sledding hill, I saw a paper posted to the dual-port ChargePoint station. The paper was a notice of public meetings to explain the preliminary design for “Charge Erie – Electric Vehicle Charging Project” located in three Erie County Parks. The meetings will be held on August 24, 25 and 26, 2021. People will have an opportunity to give their comments about the charging station project at the meetings. Written comments will also be accepted until September 10, 2021. See details below.

Notice of Public Information Meeting for Charge Erie

NOTICE OF PUBLIC INFORMATION MEETING FOR CHARGE ERIE – ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING PROJECT
LOCATED IN THE TOWNS OF AKRON, TONAWANDA, AND ORCHARD PARK.
Erie County Department of Public Works has completed preliminary design for Charge Erie – Electric Vehicle Charging Project located in the following Erie County Parks: Akron Falls Park, Ellicott Creek Dog Park, and Chestnut Ridge Park. A separate design information meeting will be held near each site as follows; Ellicott Creek Park, shelter 9, on Tuesday August 24, 2021 from 6:00pm to 7:30PM; Akron Falls Park, Shelter 7, on Wednesday August 25, 2021 from 6:00pm to 7:30pm; and Chestnut Ridge Park, shelter 21, on Thursday August 26, 2021 from 6:00pm to 7:30pm. Staff will be available to discuss the project designs, schedule, and estimated costs.

All interested persons will be given an opportunity to express their views concerning the project. Written comments may be submitted at the meeting or mailed to LaBella Associates DPC, Attention Eric T. Fischlein PE, 300 Pearl Street Buffalo NY 14202. Written statements will be accepted and documented up until September 10, 2021.

Erie County Parks, Recreation & Forestry – Public Meetings for Electric Vehicle Charging Station Projects

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Montgomery County Installs EV Charging Wayfinding Signs

Lanny
MCDOT EV charging wayfinding signs
image: MCDOT

Have you seen the blue signs on highways that direct travelers to electric vehicle charging stations? They have a symbol that looks like a gas pump but with a plug instead of a nozzle and the letters “EV” on it.

These wayfinding signs help alert EV drivers of “refueling” services just like the signs notifying drivers of gas and diesel stations at an upcoming exit. These alternative fueling station signs also help create public awareness of the existence of EV charging stations. This helps people feel more comfortable about purchasing a plug-in electric vehicle.

Montgomery County Maryland Department of Transportation (MCDOT) is initiating a program to install EV charging wayfinding signs in Bethesda, Silver Spring and Wheaton. MCDOT plans 42 wayfinding signs in and around public parking facilities that currently have EV charging stations. See: Montgomery County Adds EV Charging to Five More Garages

Standardized Signs Based on Federal MUTCD Standards

The goal is to assist EV owners to locate charging stations and to make the public aware of the County’s charging infrastructure. The signs are based on the D9-11b standard general services sign. These are approved by the Federal Highway Administration in the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD).

MCDOT Director Chris Conklin says, “Letting the public know that these charging stations are available is important to encourage the use of electric vehicles.” Montgomery County has committed to a zero-emissions goal by 2035.

20 Level 2 Charging Stations in MCDOT Parking Facilities

There are 20 public Level 2 charging stations in parking facilities supported by MCDOT Division of Parking Management. These charging stations in Bethesda, Silver Spring, and Wheaton cost $0.13 per kWh. There is a four-hour limit for the charging spaces which are designated for electric vehicle charging only. See: Montgomery County Updates EV Charging Signs

Visit the MCDOT Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Program page for more information and a map of their electric vehicle charging stations.

Tesla Superchargers “Coming Soon” – August, 2021

Lanny
Washington, DC Area Tesla Superchargers “Coming Soon” as of August 3, 2021

New Locations Added in Washington, DC Area

Tesla updated the “Find Us” map on their website on August 3, 2021. New pins added to the map in the Washington, DC area include the following locations.

  • Bel Air, MD
  • Laurel, MD (2nd location)
  • Frederick, MD (2nd location)
  • New Castle, DE

Two pins in the DC area which had been “Coming Soon” on the map have now been removed. Those locations were Millersville, MD and Greenbelt, MD.

Tesla is careful to note that exact timing and specific locations may vary. In fact, some of the locations designated by gray pins on the map in January have had their target time of opening moved. For example, Chevy Chase, MD, was targeted to open in Q3 2021 is now showing Q1 2022. Woodbridge and Leesburg, VA have moved from Q1 to Q2 2022 in the latest estimation on the Tesla “Coming Soon” map.

Eight DC Area Supercharger Locations Planned to Open This Year

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Supercharger at Laurel, MD Royal Farms Store

Lanny
Konterra Supercharger

Near I-95 at Konterra and Van Dusen Roads

A new Supercharger is under construction at the Royal Farms Store at 6901 Van Dusen Rd, Laurel, Maryland. This will be a 250 kW (V3) Tesla Supercharging site and is expected to have eight stalls.

This site is less than a mile from I-95 and will be a more convenient alternative for travelers than the original Laurel, MD Supercharger that opened in 2016 at Laurel Towne Centre.

Construction of new Tesla Superchargers in the greater Washington, DC area has accelerated in the last year. Stay tuned for developments on this and other electric vehicle charging stations in the DC, Maryland and Virginia area.

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Maryland Buy Local Week & Sykesville EV Charging

Lanny

July 17-25, 2021 is “Maryland Buy Local Week.” [July 22-31, 2022] This initiative is to celebrate and support Maryland farmers, watermen, and food producers. Consider taking the Buy Local Challenge which is to enjoy least one Maryland grown or produced food or beverage each day during Buy Local Week.

Purchasing items at Farmers Markets is a great way to support local businesses. Driving your electric car to the Farmers Market is a great way to get there.

Sykesville, Maryland Farmers Market

Downtown Sykesville Farmers Market is open each Sunday from 9 AM to 1 PM, May through October.

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Morgantown, WV is Getting Another Supercharger

Lanny

Thanks to the sharp eyes of West Virginia EV advocate and PlugInSites reader, Rick Rohn, we know that a new Tesla Supercharger is being built in Morgantown, WV.

When Rick stopped by the Sheetz store on Earl L. Core Rd., he spotted the construction at the north end of the parking lot. I contacted the City of Morgantown and learned that the contractors applied for a permit to build eight V3 Supercharger stalls.

This will be the second Tesla Supercharging site in Morgantown. A Supercharger opened at a Sheetz about four miles south west of the new site on September 10, 2017.

It’s wonderful that Morgantown is getting another Supercharger. What West Virginia really needs are some CCS & CHAdeMO fast chargers. According to the Department of Energy Alternative Fuels Data Center, West Virginia has only two non-Tesla DC Fast Chargers in the entire state. Wyoming and Alaska have more!

Electrify America have announced that they plan to install fast chargers in West Virginia in an upcoming expansion. That would be Almost Heaven!

New Howard County Courthouse EV Charging Stations

Lanny

Officials cut the ceremonial ribbon to open the new Howard County Courthouse yesterday. [map] The building is designed to be certified LEED Gold for environmental sustainability. Solar arrays on the roof and the adjacent field are projected to produce 1,177,500 kilowatt-hours of electricity per year which is roughly the amount of electricity for powering 141 homes.

Howard County Courthouse Parking Garage

A 682-space parking garage is located next to the courthouse building. The garage is equipped with electric vehicle charging stations. The Level 2 EVSEs are from EVBox and deliver up to 32 Amps each.

The new courthouse and garage are built on the former site of the Howard County Dorsey Building which hosted the first Howard County public charging stations. I attended the dedication ceremony of those charging stations on November 7, 2011. See: First Public Charging Stations in Howard County

There is no fee to use the charging stations and no authentication is required. Not sure if it will always remain free. There are gates and payment kiosks to pay for parking but they were not yet activated.

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Howard County Police Add Electric Vehicles to Fleet

Lanny
HoCoMD Police Electric Vehicle

Howard County, Maryland is adding hybrid and electric vehicles to their fleet as older vehicles are rotated out of service.

The County is assigning 111 Hybrid Ford Explorers to the Police and Sheriff’s Departments. More than one third of Howard County’s patrol fleet is now hybrid. This is said to be the largest number of hybrids in a patrol fleet by any jurisdiction in Maryland.

Howard County has also put five new Nissan Leafs into service, along with six all-electric Zero motorcycles.

In a video produced by the Howard County Government, the County’s Fleet Administrator demonstrates the new vehicles to Howard County Executive, Calvin Ball.

Fuel Savings

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Coast-to-Coast Group Tour in the First Supercharged Summer

Lanny
Roseville, CA Supercharger
photo: @verastamps

On July 12th, 2014, a group of Tesla enthusiasts embarked on a 3,605-mile journey from Delaware to California via the first coast-to-coast Supercharger route. That year was the first time in history that the coast-to-coast “Great American Road Trip” could easily be done in an electric car. Tesla had just completed building their first cross-continent Supercharging route and the TeslaRoadTrip “Supercharging Across America” group were eager to give it a go.

California or Bust!

The destination was the Tesla Motors Club TMC Connect conference in Monterey, California with a big outdoor picnic the night before the conference.

The convoy pulled out of the Newark, DE Supercharger with the cars covered in decals and headed across Maryland and Pennsylvania on the first day out. Other Teslas joined the group as they made their way across the USA. The daily destinations for the six-day trip were: Maumee, OH, Albert Lea, MN, Lusk, WY, Green River, UT, Barstow, and Roseville, CA.

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Annapolis $100 Fine and Towing Could Apply to Unsuspecting EV Drivers

Lanny

Overreaching “Anti-ICEing” Ordinance Needs Revision

If you drive an electric car, I bet you try to do the right thing. You care about the environment and your actions reflect your values. You may have even stretched your budget to buy an eco-friendly electric vehicle.

Imagine this scenario: You decide to be more active in speaking up for the future of the planet. So you drive your EV to the state capital to testify in front of lawmakers. You find a garage with EV charging and plug in to a Level 2. You need an extra boost to get home. Or maybe you just want to show your support for the public charging infrastructure. After all, many charging spots are rarely used these days.

You arrive at the committee meeting room. The legislation that you came to support is on a fluid schedule. The Chair could call your name at any moment. You don’t dare miss your opportunity to address the legislators who could decide policy that could affect the environment for years to come.

The hearing runs long. It’s early evening when you finally return to the garage. As you approach your car you notice a paper on the windshield. It’s a parking citation. For a hundred bucks!

The ticket states a violation of Sec. 12.20.090.B – Parking Reserved for Plug-in Electric Drive Vehicles Actively Charging. $100.00 fine.

What? Actively charging?

Tell it to the judge.

It doesn’t matter why your car was not actively charging. Your battery may be full. The charging station may have suddenly quit unbeknownst to you. Or maybe someone wanted to “stick it to the environmentalists” and unplugged your car for spite. Is there a law against unplugging EVs?

You’re lucky though. Your car could’ve been towed in addition to getting the ticket. How do you feel now?

First, Do No Harm

The scenario above is not far fetched. The City of Annapolis passed an anti-ICEing ordinance last year that could punish EV drivers who are not “actively charging.” The same $100 fine and/or towing penalty imposed on a diesel truck driver blocking a charging space could apply to an innocent electric car driver who’s simply trying to do the right thing by driving a zero emission vehicle.

EV drivers are getting punished more than you might think. Green Car Reports published an article that showed that in Montgomery County, MD, more electric vehicles got tickets for parking in charging spaces than ICE vehicles did. Ref: Illegal Parking in charging spots: The culprit? Electric cars

A few weeks ago I testified via Skype at the Annapolis City Council Meeting. I asked the Mayor and City Council to refine the ordinance to give some leeway for EVs and focus on the non-electric vehicles that are the main problem. I also pointed out that almost a year after the ordinance went into effect that there are still no signs and pavement markings required for enforcement. [testimony video] I submitted written comments explaining the issues in more detail.

The next day, I received an email from the Deputy City Manager who promised to work with City staff to get signs posted and get the spaces marked. However, they didn’t address the concern of the “actively charging” language in the current ordinance.

Yesterday, I submitted comments to the Annapolis Transportation Board, who I understand is a body that can make recommendations to the City Council. I asked the Board to consider making a recommendation to amend the ordinance to focus on penalizing cars that run on gasoline or diesel that are blocking the charging spots.

I suggested that signs could state the spots are for EV charging only but the law shouldn’t penalize them the moment they stop charging. I presented an example of someone charging their car overnight at a hotel. Are they expected to run out at 2:00 AM as soon as the battery is full in order to avoid a violation? My full comments to the Transportation Board and links to the discussion on the original bill are below.

Links to Discussion on Annapolis Anti-ICEing Ordinance O-14-20

Reference:
Annapolis City Ordinance 14-20 Details
Public Safety Committee meeting on 7/6/2020 Video
Transportation Committee meeting on 7/9/2020 Video
Annapolis City Council meeting on 7/13/2020 Video 
Transportation Board meeting on 7/20/2020  Video

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