Village Weighs Clean Pass Parking, Charging Stations

Southampton Village Mayor Mark Epley on Thursday pitched designating parking spaces on Main Street for high efficiency and alternative fuel vehicles — and installing plug-in stations for electric cars.

Other village board members embraced the idea during Thursday evening’s public board meeting, though there were still specifics to be worked out.

Epley said he wanted to reserve the spaces for vehicles with New York State Clean Pass stickers, which are granted to cars that meet certain federal emission and fuel economy standards.

Trustee Paul Robinson pointed out that the has such a parking space, but it is open to all efficient and alternative fuel vehicles, not just vehicles with the Clean Pass sticker. He said that many cars are environmentally friendly, but do not have the state’s Clean Pass designation.

Requiring a sticker would make enforcement easier, Epley said. “Every time I pull into the post office and I look at that spot, there’s an SUV in that spot, so you have to have some sort of enforceability,” he said, though he saw Robinson’s point and said he wants out of state visitors, who get cannot get New York State Clean Pass stickers, to be able to use the parking spaces as well if they drive the right cars.

Robinson was also concerned about the village footing the bill to charge cars, but Epley said the drivers would pay to plug in. “They swipe their card and they pay for their own electric,” Epley said.

Trustee Bonnie Cannon, who drives a Smart Car that gets 41 miles to the gallon, said paying for electricity is still cheaper than $4.50 a gallon for gasoline.