Big changes are coming in regards to parking in Port Washington this holiday season, both in and out of the school district. In recent weeks, Electric Vehicle (EV) chargers have been put in many of Schreiber’s parking lots, with plans in place for installation in parking lots in all seven Port Washington schools. As of December, the chargers have been placed at six of the seven schools in the School District.
At the Sept. 16 Board of Education Meeting, Mr. Brian Graham, the district’s Director of Facilities and Operations, presented a plan to install Electric Vehicle (EV) chargers throughout the district. Mr. Graham explained that the district had looked into bringing EV chargers to the district twice in the past, in 2023, as part of the District’s current Energy Performance Contract. Both times, it was determined that the installation of EV Chargers did not make sense financially.
However, the district’s financial status has changed this year with the availability of grants to defray the costs of the installation of EV Chargers. Public Service Enterprise Group’s (PSEG) Make Ready Incentive Program offers electric infrastructure incentives that can cover the installation of chargers. This initiative “aims to make EV charging more accessible and encourage the transition to cleaner transportation,” according to PSEG.
Because of this financial change, Mr. Graham presented a plan that would install EV chargers in all the school parking lots at zero cost for the district. The district is partnering with a company called LED Consulting, who has worked with 14 nearby school districts in the past, including Jericho, Franklin Square, Bellmore, and Longwood Central. LED Consulting is in the process of installing up to 48 Linkwell EV charging stations which, upon completion, will be owned by the school district.
The chargers will be located on school property and will be used as normal parking spaces during the school day, although staff with electric vehicles may get preference for the spots, to avoid wasted parking. Staff will be able to access the chargers and pay for energy using an app, at rates set by the school district. The school district is considering opening the chargers for public use outside of school hours as well. As part of the contract with LED Consulting, they will service the chargers and receive a charging fee and a 15percent revenue share from the charging.
“My parents have an electric vehicle that hopefully I will get to drive at some point. This seems like a convenient way to charge it,” said junior Grayson Marinnan.
The chargers will be a benefit for staff members, who will be able to easily charge their vehicles while at their workplace. In addition, the EV chargers are environmentally friendly. More availability of EV chargers directly support cleaner transportation options and lower carbon footprints, by making it easier for people to own and drive electric vehicles. This will particularly be the case for staff who will have access to the chargers immediately.
“It’s nice to see our school do something like this that is so good for the environment. Maybe this will encourage students and teachers to use electric vehicles more,” said junior Katherine Trainor.
Meanwhile, in another type of incentive program, the Town of North Hempstead suspended street meter parking in Port Washington for the holiday season, from Thanksgiving through the New Year. The initiative, which was co-sponsored by the Port Washington Chamber of Commerce and supported by Port Washington’s Town Councilwoman, Mariann Dalimonte, is aimed at encouraging Port Washington residents to do their holiday shopping locally.
“My mom is happy about the parking meters being covered. She likes shopping and it’s less of a hassle for the holidays,” said junior Elena Karnsomtob.
While shoppers will have to follow the time restrictions on parking, they will avoid the extra complication of feeding the meter, making it easier for them to support Port Washington local jobs and businesses.