16 Multiple Electric Vehicle Charging Ports Added in County Parking Facilities, Bringing Total to 56 in County Garages and Parking Lots

The Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) has added 16 electric vehicle charging ports in County garages over the last four months, increasing the total of electric vehicle (EV) charging ports to 56 for public use in County parking garages and parking lots.

Eight ports were added in the NOAA Garage (G58) in Silver Spring this month, four ports were added in the Cordell-St. Elmo Garage (G40) in Bethesda in December and four ports were installed in the Wheaton Market Place Garage (G13) in October.

MCDOT has eight more charging ports planned. Four will be installed in the Bethesda-Elm Garage (G57) later this winter and four ports have been ordered for the Cameron Street Garage (G7) in Silver Spring.

In 2022, Montgomery County reported 19,338 plug-in vehicles registered. Nearly one-third of all-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles registered in Maryland are located within Montgomery County.

“This is great news to start off the new year—our constituents having been requesting more charging ports and I am glad that we are starting to deliver,” said County Executive Marc Elrich. “Expanding access to charging stations will encourage more EV ownership. Besides increasing our public use ports, we are also allowing homeowners to apply for a right-of-way permit for their own curbside charging stations. We are moving in the right direction, but we need residents, businesses and policymakers to support these efforts. Combatting climate change requires actions by all of us.”

Since the County’s first public EV charging stations were installed in the Capital Crescent Garage in February 2015, MCDOT has continually worked to grow the number of charging stations in County owned public parking facilities.

“We are making progress, but we still have work to do to ensure EV charging is accessible,” said MCDOT Director Chris Conklin. “Transportation is the largest producer of greenhouse gas emissions in the County and personal vehicles make up the majority of these emissions. We are working to increase personal vehicle charging capacity to encourage EV ownership. This is an essential step to reach our aggressive County goal of zero emissions by 2035.”

EV charging ports are now available in the following County parking facilities within each of the three County maintained Parking Lot Districts (PLD):

• Bethesda: Woodmont Corner Garage (G11), Capital Crescent Garage (G31) Woodmont-Rugby Garage (G35), Auburn-Del Ray Garage (G36), Cordell-St.Elmo Garage (G40), Waverly Garage (G47) and Bethesda-Elm Garage (G57)
• Silver Spring: Bonifant-Dixon Garage (G5), Cameron-Second Garage (G7), Kennett Street Garage (G9), NOAA Garage (G58) Wayne Avenue Garage (G60) and Town Square Garage (G61); Bonifant and Easley Lot (L29)
• Wheaton: Wheaton Market Place Garage (G13) and Amherst Garage (G45)

Twelve of the new EV charging ports in the Silver Spring (G40) and Bethesda (G58) parking garages, and four ports coming to Silver Spring (G57), have been funded and provided by Pepco. The County has an easement agreement with Pepco to locate the stations within PLD facilities. The rest of the stations have been funded by the County.

In May 2020, MCDOT and the County’s Department of Permitting Services released residential area guidelines for installing electric vehicle charging stations. The guidelines regulate and provide for permitting the installation of privately owned car charging stations in garages, driveways and in the public right of way adjacent to County streets.

For a listing of Montgomery County EV charging stations in public parking garages and lots, visit https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/dot-parking/ElectricVehicle.html.

In addition to the charging ports in the County garages, nearly 600 EV ports are available for public use, as listed on the Department of Energy’s Alternative Fuel Data Center website. This includes 30 ports managed by the County’s Department of General Services at County-owned buildings, such as libraries.