Electric Vehicle Charging Station Right-of-Way Pilot Program
This five-year pilot program that consists of temporarily lifting the Right-of-Way Occupancy Permit requirement for property owners who wish to install electric vehicle (EV) charging equipment at the curbside abutting their property. The program is intended to serve as a solution to one of the barriers to EV adoption in the city—homes lacking off-street parking where an EV can be charged. The pilot program will be available for EV charging equipment on residential streets only and is not available on arterial streets.
Program Details
- Duration of five years, to be reviewed annually for potential modifications.
- The pilot program allows for EV charging equipment to be installed at the curbside on residential streets only at this time and not on arterial streets.
- Currently, the Right-of-Way Occupancy Permit fee is $640 for review, with an annual fee of $90. This permit and the associated costs will be eliminated under this pilot program.
- Property owners will still need to obtain any necessary Right-of-Way Construction and Electrical Permits if they wish to install EV charging equipment in the right-of-way abutting their property.
- The space in the street abutting the EV charging station must be striped and signed as “EV Parking Only,” as required by Washington State law. This is the property owner’s responsibility.
- The abutting property owner does not have sole ownership of the parking space where the EV charging station is installed under this program. Technically, any electric vehicle could park in the space.
- It is a parking infraction, with a monetary penalty of one hundred twenty-four dollars, for any person to park a vehicle in an electric vehicle charging station provided on public or private property if the vehicle is not connected to the charging equipment.
- The cost of the EV charging equipment and costs of the remaining required permits and installation are the responsibility of the property owner.
- Property owners that install EV charging equipment in the right-of-way under this five-year pilot program will not be required to remove the charging equipment that they have installed once the five-year period has concluded. They may, however, be required to obtain a Right-of-Way Occupancy Permit after the five-year pilot program ends.
What the City will provide to applicants in the pilot program:
- Reduced permitting requirements and costs by exempting the Right-of-Way Occupancy Permit requirement for a period of five years.
- A tip sheet that provides an easy guide for property owners explaining what is required to install EV charging equipment in the right-of-way abutting their property.
- Design standards to help the applicant understand how the EV charging equipment should be installed in the right-of-way.
Getting Started:
Please review the GB-200 EVCS Permits Tip Sheet for an overview of the pilot program.
Please apply online through our Accela permitting system for a Right-of-Way Construction (RCON) permit related to your Electric Vehicle Charging Station (EVCS). Please keep in mind that you will also require an Electrical permit applied for through Tacoma Public Utilities.
Please review the following tip sheets to create an account in Accela and submit your required documents online for review.
Accela Assistance Documents
Electronic File Standards Tip Sheet
Examples:
Site Plan Example
Residential Plan Detail
Traffic Control Plan Examples
Electronic vehicle charging station (evcs) agreement notification example
Tacoma Electronic Vehicle Charging Station Indemnity Agreement example
Contact:
City of Tacoma | Planning and Development Services
Application Services
253.591.5030
AppServices@cityoftacoma.org
