Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia wants the city of Long Beach to expand its electric vehicle infrastructure, and he has taken action by requesting that the Sustainable City Commission look for “opportunities for expansion.” The item is on the city council agenda for Tuesday, Nov. 3, and the report would be due back to council within 120 days.
“Electric vehicle infrastructure is good for business and the environment,” Garcia said. “There are more EVs [electric vehicles] on the road now, and the City has to keep up with the demand. We need to be a leader in this growing area.”
Under a 2014 policy based on the 2013 California Green Building Standards Code, the City provides several EV-charging stations, including in some public garages and at the Long Beach Airport, according to Garcia’s office.
New one- and two-family dwellings and townhouses with attached parking garages must be EV-capable. New dwellings of 17 or more units must dedicate at least three percent of parking spaces as EV-charging stations, and new nonresidential buildings must include a certain percent of parking for EVs, depending on their size, according to Garcia’s office.
Some possible policy actions contemplated in the mayor’s letter to the city council are retrofitting existing public facilities, modifying the Title 18 Building Code and new installations in public facilities, including parks and beaches. In addition, infrastructure could be added to new private developments and commercial lots.
