Going Forward: An Open Letter to the Next Mayor of New York City
Dear Eric Adams,
I am a father in Brooklyn and rented an electric car at the beginning of the pandemic because I was worried about the possibility of exposing my children to COVID on the subway. To my family, buying an electric car seems to be not only a good health measure, but also a choice to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and avoid air pollution.
While looking for parking spaces on city streets, I quickly realized that other New Yorkers would not drive electric cars without public charging. I find that there are very few places to charge my car, and the only option is in the paid parking lot. Public charging is a necessary development for electric vehicles to become a practical alternative to gasoline-fueled vehicles.
Through rising sea levels, Soaring temperature, Intense storms and wider flooding, greenhouse gases are stifling the future of our urban children.Traffic in New York City has increased by more than 15 million tons Greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere every year. During your tenure as mayor, you must accelerate the transition to electric transportation to save New York.
Tesla charging station in New York City. Photo: Paul Sebrman
Official claims 20% By 2030, 2 million vehicles in New York City will have to switch from gas to electric vehicles.Currently, the total is Less than one percent. In order to achieve net zero emissions, Bloomberg reported that 60% New cars sold during this period must be electric. Achieving this ambitious goal requires infrastructure reform and bold leadership.
We know that the scarcity of charging stations is the main obstacle to the adoption of electric vehicles.of 1,600 chargers Today in New York City and Westchester-far from enough-most are located behind the pay walls of expensive parking lots. For most New Yorkers, this overpriced option is simply out of reach.Among the more obvious options, Tesla effectively controls the charging monopoly 70% NYC plug. As a result, city drivers who own an electric car made by any other car manufacturer have few charging options.
The lack of convenient and affordable charging methods prevents many New Yorkers from pursuing clean transportation options.since More than half There are so many cars parked on the streets of New York City that drivers need to charge publicly near their homes to make the purchase of electric vehicles feasible.
In March last year, Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, worked with the private sector to pilot the conversion of lampposts into chargers.Now there are plans for deployment 50,000 lamp pole chargers Let people drive electric cars all over the UK. New York should implement a similar lamppost charging strategy for dense urban streets.
In September, the New York City Department of Transportation announced plans for a public charging network 40,000 chargers And 6,000 fast chargers.Officials say this must rise to 220,000 public chargers By 2050.At the same time, research in Europe and China shows that we need A public charger Every 10 electric cars.
Despite the targets set, public charges in New York City are not growing fast enough. In order to facilitate the transformation of electric vehicles, you must rapidly increase the deployment of public chargers integrated into the structure of the New York community. We need your bold leadership to quickly establish a fair charging network.In the absence of increased commitments, New York has already No chance Achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.
The charging network will increase fuel supply, city income and local employment opportunities.The city must use the data to determine the charging location and establish a CitiBike launched. Policymakers must reconsider the right of way and parking regulation. No brisk movements, New York City may sink.
This data-driven charging network must also prioritize fairness and safety, and inclusive planning must be based on residents’ feedback. New York City agencies must work together to align transportation and energy carbon emission reduction performance indicators. As more and more electric vehicles hit the road, you must also specifically support turning on renewable energy power generation. Completing this energy transition will truly achieve zero-emission transportation.
You have eight years, two terms, and one opportunity to achieve your clean transportation goals. From the moment you take office, you must double the use of public chargers in New York City and democratize access. What will your legacy be? Let us move forward and create a more resilient and sustainable future for my son and all New Yorkers.
Jeffrey Prosserman is a graduate student in the Sustainable Development Management Program at Columbia University and also Volt Post, A company that converts lampposts into electric car chargers.
