Springfield committee advances pilot for four electric-vehicle charging sites after parking concerns

A Springfield City maintenance committee voted on Thursday to send a pilot program to the full city council that would place four dual-port electric vehicle charging stations in neighborhoods across the city.

The committee discussed a technical-assistance award from the Mass Clean Energy Center that provides a consultant (CET) to guide site selection, charger specifications and maintenance rather than delivering direct grant funds. "The Mass Clean Energy Center does not actually give us any money," a city staff member said, explaining the program provides consultant services and not a cash disbursement.

Why it matters: staff and the consultant said the program is targeted at residential neighborhoods with environmental-justice and lower-income populations to increase local access to charging infrastructure. The four pilot sites identified are near Myrtle Street Park in Indian Orchard, near Marshall Roy Park on Saint James Boulevard in East Springfield, the Aperma (Aperamont) Triangle downtown, and at Main and Jefferson near a recently installed parking area.

City staff described the selection process as collaborative: housing, community development, planning and economic development, the parking authority, public works, parks and the mayor's office reviewed candidate locations, CET evaluated technical feasibility, and the city ran a public survey. CET representative Steve said, "We had about 20 respondents to the survey," a modest response level the committee noted.

Technical and cost details: CET and staff said each pilot site will receive one dual-port (two-port) Level 2 charger that will occupy roughly two parking spaces. "This program covers [the network and warranty] for five years," the consultant said, adding that typical ongoing costs include network subscriptions, optional extended warranties and electricity. The consultant gave 35¢ per kilowatt-hour as a common example rate for Level 2 charging and said the city can set pricing rules, such as a free first hour or idling fees to encourage turnover.

Installation will include new service pulled from nearby utility manholes or a nearby pole, underground conduit to a distribution cabinet and then to the charging pedestal; utility company Eversource would perform the public-way electrical work. The staff member said the city intends to work with CET to develop a rate that will cover electricity and maintenance costs after the five-year period.

Neighborhood concerns and outreach: Councilor Maria Perez, who said she had not been aware of the project until recently, described conversations with neighborhood business owners who worry the chargers will reduce customer parking and may be visually obtrusive. "Their people were not gonna be parking," Perez said, summarizing merchants' worries about lost spaces. Perez asked staff for drawings and graphics she could share with residents and businesses.

Next steps and committee action: Councilor Maria Perez moved that the committee send the project to the next regular city council meeting for a final vote; Chair Levar Click Bruce seconded the motion and the committee agreed to place the item on the full-council agenda for consideration. No final funding vote occurred at the committee meeting; staff said the city will decide after the pilot whether to pursue additional sites depending on results and on future funding availability.

A resident asked what percentage of Springfield households own electric vehicles; staff said they did not have a local ownership figure available and noted the city plans to collect usage data once stations are installed. The meeting was adjourned at 4:56 p.m.