Vancouver park board will vote on new electric-vehicle-charging stations

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      Most Vancouverites are not aware that their city council approved an electric vehicle ecosystem strategy in 2016.

      It calls for EV charging infrastructure at all public-facing city properties, including 20 community centres under the authority of the Vancouver park board.

      As part of the strategy both the park board and city government must approve each new EV-charging installation at these locations.

      The next step in implementing this strategy comes on Monday (January 15).

      That's when the park board is scheduled to vote on a staff recommendation for new EV-charging stations at the Dunbar, Killarney, and Trout Lake community centres.

      Two chargers would go into each location and all costs will be covered by the city government, according to a park board staff report.

      Staff also considered installing EV-charging stations at the Kerrisdale Community Centre but this was not recommended because the parking lot has a "capacity issue".

      According to the staff report, the Kerrisdale Community Centre Association and staff both felt that this such infrastructure "could draw in more vehicles that are not necessarily patrons of the community centre".

      "Park Board staff continue to collaborate with City Sustainability staff on opportunities for charging stations in areas of Park Board jurisdiction and are reviewing user fees," the staff report reveals. "All future installations of EV infrastructure by the City will incorporate user fees, and future installations at new Park Board sites will be subject to Park Board approval."

      The report notes that user fees would first be used to cover operating costs related to EV infrastructure.

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