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Rockville council adopts Electric Vehicle Readiness Plan with curbside safeguards
Summary
The Rockville Mayor and Council adopted an Electric Vehicle Readiness Plan on March 24 that lays out pricing, parking and curbside charging policies and declines one proposed curbside model over mobility-safety concerns.
The Rockville Mayor and Council adopted an Electric Vehicle (EV) Readiness Plan on March 24 after staff incorporated council direction on pricing strategies, parking minimum flexibility and curbside charging models.
Staff presented a redline of the draft plan that reflected the council’s guidance from a February work session. Council supported a blended pricing strategy that varies by charger type, location and traffic expectations; staff updated Action 114 in the plan accordingly. For parking minimums, the council favored flexibility in the zoning code to allow retrofit of existing parking lots to add charging and accessible aisles; staff incorporated this in Action 115. On curbside charging, council supported three of four models proposed by staff — vendor-installed, resident-installed with covered duct, and resident-installed with sidewalk protection — and declined the option that would permit cords crossing sidewalks because of mobility and safety concerns. The staff update is reflected in Action 122 of the plan.
Councilmember discussion focused on implementation details for multi-family and condominium residents who lack private driveways, the potential need to tier residential pricing for curbside charging and ensuring safety and liability protections for right-of-way installations. Council directed staff to refine guidance and permitting standards — including design and inspection requirements — so curbside charging installations do not create ADA hazards.
The council adopted the plan by motion and unanimous vote, with a minor amendment removing a late-appearing phrase that would have limited right-of-way charging to only those cases where it was infeasible to install a driveway or pad.
Why it matters: The plan sets the city’s strategy for expanding EV charging infrastructure to support the Climate Action Plan and prepares Rockville to be competitive for state and federal grants. The plan addresses resident access where private home charging is not possible and sets policy guardrails to protect sidewalks and mobility.
Next steps: Staff will finalize permitting guidance, safety standards and pricing implementation plans and return to the council as designs and pilot programs are prepared.
