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The passage of the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) made it clear that the switch to electric vehicles is happening, and that cities need to get ready. This Bloomberg Cities Network piece outlines four steps cities across the country are taking in furtherance of the switch to electric vehicles (EVs). Some Ohio cities are already doing some of these things, but for cities that aren’t, it’s a useful list of ideas for planning and development topics:

1. Establishing community car sharing programs and charging stations
2. Electrifying city-owned vehicles
3. Electrifying public transit
4. Requiring new buildings to be ready for EV charging infrastructure

Among the EV-ready ordinances highlighted in the Bloomberg article is Columbus’ draft EV-Ready Parking Ordinance, which was open for public comment during the month of May 2022 and is under consideration in Columbus City Council. This comes after a 2019 ordinance that eased installation of EV parking spots for developers and businesses.

Youngstown mayor Tito Brown co-chairs a national EV infrastructure task force for the U.S. Conference of Mayors, leading discussions with cities across the nation about how they’re making use of IIJA and ARPA funds and preparing their cities and neighborhoods for EVs. Youngstown also recently joined Power a Clean Future Ohio, so expect to see more leadership from Youngstown on this issue.

Links to more information about EV policy planning is at the bottom of the Bloomberg article, and there is lots of support and information to be found for Ohio cities at the Clean Fuels Ohio website as well. Cities that would like to get some free support and planning assistance may also consider joining Power a Clean Future Ohio.