ICEing - Plug-In Sites

New Signs at Howard Community College in Columbia, MD

March 1, 2021September 28, 2022 Lanny

Enforceable Signs for County Anti-ICEing Ordinance

Charging stations at Howard Community College in Columbia, Maryland now have new signs. The BGE EVsmart stations that opened in January originally had green and white signs with “electric vehicle parking only” and a logo depicting a car with a plug. Those signs were not enforceable under the Howard County anti-ICEing ordinance.

The local EV community advocated for an anti-ICEing ordinance and Howard County passed legislation in 2014. See: Video of Public Comments on Howard Co. Bill CB36-2014. The ordinance requires official signs that meet federal and state standards to designate a charging space before police can enforce the prohibition.

Official Signs Comply with Federal and State Standards for Parking Signs

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) issued a Policy Statement on June 17, 2013 to address regulatory sign standards for electric vehicle charging and parking facilities. Howard County has chosen to use the “NO PARKING EXCEPT WHILE CHARGING” (R7-113) signs at the utility-operated charging stations located on county-owned property.

Standardized signs are are a good idea even in places that don’t yet have an anti-ICEing law. They are the best way to communicate that spaces in front of EV charging stations are not parking spots, they are for electric vehicles while being recharged.

Anti-ICEing Laws – Do They Really Work?

March 10, 2020September 28, 2022 Lanny

Three Citations in Five Years

Howard County, Maryland passed one of the earliest anti-ICEing laws in July, 2014. The ordinance is designed to keep Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) cars from blocking electric vehicle charging stations. In the five years since it was enacted, only three citations have been given according to the Howard County Police Department. One ticket each in the years 2014, 2017 and 2019.

Signage an Issue

Many anti-ICEing laws require an official sign to be posted in order to be enforced on private or public property. In Howard County, the sign must be at least 12 inches by 18 inches and meet government standards.

HoCoMD Anti-ICEing Laws Charging Station — Sign at Howard County Library EV charging spot is not enforceable under Police guidelines.

A sign that designates a space under this subsection must meet be at least 12 inches by 18 inches and meet any applicable State or Federal standards for parking control signs.
Howard Co. MD Sec. 21.207c3 Parking restrictions – Plug-in vehicle recharging stations

One Sign Considered Enforceable

The Howard County Police Department created a Training Bulletin to provide guidance to officers when responding to calls of non-electric vehicles parked in EV charging spaces.

Some of the key points listed in the bulletin are:

Green Paint Vital to Enforcement of Proposed Maryland Anti-ICEing Law

February 8, 2018January 11, 2023 Lanny

We’ll need many gallons of green paint and hundreds of new signs to make electric vehicle charging stations enforceable in Maryland under the latest proposal for a state-wide anti-ICEing law. Are EV charging station site hosts, local and state governments and the EV community up to the task?

Eight states have enacted anti-ICEing laws. They all require that the charging spots be designated in some manner in order to be enforceable. One state, Washington, requires “green pavement markings” in addition to signs to enforce their $124 penalty for violators.

A bill proposed in the 2018 session of the Maryland General Assembly will also require green pavement markings in order to be enforced. HB 598, sponsored by Delegate Clarence Lam, is the sixth attempt at anti-ICEing legislation in Annapolis.

I have participated in efforts to get a statewide anti-ICEing law in Maryland since 2012 when Delegate Eric Luedtke introduced HB 108. In addition to many phone calls, meetings and letters, I have traveled to Annapolis on at least three occasions to testify in support of legislation as chronicled here in 2016 and here for 2017. What will it take to be successful this time?