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Recharge Boston: Boston's Zero Emission Vehicle Program

First, we need people who drive alone to take transit, carpool, bike or walk to work instead. To reach our carbon neutrality goals, any remaining vehicles must be electric or zero-emission vehicles.

Electric vehicles are cars or other vehicles powered completely, or in part, by electricity. They produce lower emissions and less noise than vehicles powered by gasoline, diesel, and other fossil fuels. Electric vehicles can include electric assisted small vehicles, including electric-bycicles and electric-foot scooters.

The City has a goal of every household being within a 10 minute walk of a public EV charging station or EV car share. EV charging stations are being installed in City owned parking lots. 

We have compiled information into 'how-to' documents. These documents answer questions on owning and operating an electric vehicle. Please contact us if you have more questions.

Boston's Zero-Emission Vehicle Roadmap

The City of Boston has released its Zero-Emission Vehicle Roadmap. The long-term strategy accelerates the adoption of electric vehicles and other zero-emission transportation.

Executive Summary
Zero-emission roadmap

City of Boston ZEV Programs

ZEV Programs

To increase access to public EV charging, the City of Boston is installing EV charging stations in some of our municipal parking lots.



 

Parking in our municipal parking lots is free. EV charging is $0.25/kWh. There is a $1.00 per hour inactive charge once your charging has completed.

Locations Include:
  • Lot 1 - 30 Ruggles Street, Roxbury (available for use)
  • Lot 2 - 398 Market Street, Brighton (coming soon)
  • Lot 3 - 115 Harvard Avenue, Allston (coming soon)
  • Lot 5 - 166-180 London Street, East Boston (available for use)
  • Lot 6 - 737 Centre Street, Jamaica Plain (available for use)
  • Lot 8 - 10 Tafthill Terrace, Roslindale (available for use)
  • Lot 10 - 39-41 Corey Street, West Roxbury (available for use)
  • Lot 12 - 37 Winthrop Street, Hyde Park (coming soon)
  • Lot 13 - 451-467 River Street, Mattapan (available for use)
  • Lot 15 - 254-258 Bowdoin Street, Dorchester (coming soon)
  • Lot 17 - 575-581 Washington Street, Dorchester (coming soon)
  • Lot 18 - 450 West Broadway, South Boston (available for use)
  • Lot 19 - 16 Hamlet Street, Dorchester (available for use)
  • Lot 20 - 191 Adams Street, Dorchester (available for use)
  • Lot 23 - 20 Georgia Street, Dorchester (available for use)
  • Lot 30 - 353 Dudley Street, Roxbury (available for use)
  • Lot 32 - 490-498 Centre Street, Jamaica Plain (available for use)
  • Lot 33 - 3042 Washington Street, Roxbury (coming soon)

City of Boston cargo tricycle parked near City of Boston central fleet vehicles

Knox is a city owned cargo e-trike. A cargo e-trike is a three wheeled bicycle with electric battery assist and a large compartment for carrying items. We wanted to help City employees lead by example while conducting City business. We hypothesized that for short-distance trips, the trike would be a reasonable replacement for a car or truck. For more information on the program visit Knox: The Cargo E-Trike.

In the summer 2020, the City of Boston released an Electric Cargo Bike Request for Information (RFI). We wanted to gain information on how e-cargo bikes could fit into our City's delivery landscape. We received 13 responses that included information on

  • e-cargo bike types
  • data management
  • operational logistics
  • policy support, and
  • planning.

For more information read the post solicitation report. 

The City of Boston, through the Bloomberg Philanthropies American Cities Climate Challenge, has contracted with Nelson/Nygaard. They will design and potentially launch an e-cargo bike delivery pilot program. Over the next few months the City will work to identify:

  • regulatory
  • administrative, and
  • operational challenges to e-cargo bike delivery within the City.

We will also identify potential program partners and pilot locations. The City is looking to spring 2022 at the earliest for the launch of a pilot program.

Good2Go is an electric vehicle (EV) car-share program with sliding scale rates. It supports affordable access to clean transportation options in Nubian Square, Roxbury,  and surrounding neighborhoods. Roxbury has been the heart of Bos

For a list of locations visit evgood2go.org.

The program is funded with a grant from the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center. It's a collaboration between the City of Boston, E4TheFuture, Eversource, the Metropolitan Area Planning Council, Mobility Development, Nuestra Comunidad, and Shared Mobility.

The primary goal of the program is to serve local residents and businesses. Individuals of any incomes will be able to use the service, and those who qualify with lower incomes will pay a lower rate. Providing access to shared electric vehicles means participants will become more familiar with operating an EV, and be able to make a comfortable, safe, and environmentally friendly transportation choice.

The City Boston is partnering with Good2Go by locating vehicles in our municipal parking lots. The expansion of EV car sharing is included in the City’s Climate Action Plan and Zero-Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Roadmap. Both of these initiatives outline a multifaceted strategy for citywide ZEV deployment. The City’s goal is for 100% of residents to be within a 10-minute walk of an EV car-share facility or a public EV charger.

Good2Go car share roxbury CC

EV readiness policy for new developments

Compliance with the policy

Two types of new developments must comply with the City's EV Readiness Policy For New Developments:

  1. New developments that prompt the Transportation Access Plan Agreement (TAPA) process
  2. All projects located within South Boston and Downtown parking freeze zones​

This policy applies to any development that receives Boston Planning and Development Agency Board approval after March 7, 2019 and to any development that submits a parking freeze permit application to the Air Pollution Control Commission after March 20, 2019.

The policy requires:
  • 25 percent of parking spaces be "EVSE (electric vehicle supply equipment) installed", and
  • the remaining 75 percent of parking spaces be "EV (electric vehicle) Ready" for future installation, to the maximum extent practicable.

Want to learn about how your project can best meet this policy? Contact btd@boston.gov or apcc@boston.gov.

EV Parking and Wayfinding Signage

This approved EV wayfinding logo should be used to direct the public to publicly accessible EV charging on private property. General service signs provide guidance to the charging station. They should be installed at the entrance to a garage or parking lot, and at the EV charging station.

Download the Wayfinding Logo

Public EV Parking Official Signage

Suggest a Location for Public EV Charging

The City is expanding access to public EV charging stations. Use this form to suggest a location for public EV charging. This is not an application to have an EV charging station installed. This is for informational purposes only and helps us better understand the demand for EV charging. 

suggest a location

Curbside EV Charging Example located in LA

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