DATE: September 14, 2026
TO: Council Sustainability Committee
FROM: Director of Public Works
SUBJECT EV Curbside Charging Pilot Design
RECOMMENDATION
That the Council Sustainability Committee (CSC) receive this report and provide feedback on the proposed design and locations for an electric vehicle (EV) curbside charging pilot program.
SUMMARY
This report provides an update on the City of Hayward's participation in the Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (LACI) City Climate Innovation Cohort and presents a preliminary design for a potential EV curbside charging pilot. The pilot is intended to expand convenient and equitable access to EV charging for residents who may not have access to home charging.
Through the LACI cohort, the City is receiving technical assistance, connections to EV charging technology providers, and funding for pilot implementation. Staff is currently evaluating three City-owned locations—Weekes Branch Library, Matt Jimenez Community Center at the Stack Center, and Pacheco Pump Station—for two potential pilot sites.
Under the preliminary pilot design, two sites would each have two Level 2 EV charging ports installed, providing EV charging for up to two vehicles at a time at each location. The City would not own or maintain the charging equipment. Instead, a technology provider would install, own, operate, and maintain the equipment under agreements with the City. LACI funding and external partners would support installation costs, while the technology provider would be responsible for ongoing operations, maintenance, and charging revenue.
Staff is seeking feedback from the Committee on the proposed pilot approach, potential locations, and key considerations to address before proceeding with project development.
FISCAL IMPACT
This item has no impact on the General Fund or Measure C. The proposed pilot would be supported through LACI funding.
BACKGROUND
The City of Hayward faces challenges in providing convenient and equitable access to EV charging, particularly for residents who cannot install charging infrastructure at their homes. Approximately 71% of existing homes in Hayward were built before 1978 and may have undersized electrical panels, which can make residential EV charger installation costly or infeasible.
In addition, approximately 30% of Hayward residents live in multifamily housing, and 86% of Hayward's multifamily buildings were constructed prior to 1980. Residents of apartments and condominiums can face additional barriers to home charging due to shared parking, limited electrical capacity, and the difficulty of installing charging infrastructure in common areas.
In response to these challenges, staff applied for and were selected to participate in LACI's City Climate Innovation Cohort focused on curbside EV charging. The cohort provides participating cities with technical assistance, connections to technology providers, and potential implementation funding to explore innovative EV charging technologies and model policies.
On behalf of the cohort, LACI released a request for information to identify technology providers interested in partnering with participating cities. Staff have subsequently evaluated potential technology providers and pilot locations.
DISCUSSION
LACI has funding available to support pilot projects with participating cities. For Hayward, the preliminary concept would involve the installation of two Level 2 EV charging stations at each of two City-owned locations, providing a total of four charging ports and the ability to charge up to four vehicles in total.
The City would enter into appropriate agreements with the selected technology provider, including a license agreement for use of the City’s property or public right-of-way. The technology provider would own, install, operate, and maintain the charging equipment and would be responsible for the associated maintenance costs and charging revenue. This model would allow the City to test curbside charging without assuming ownership of the equipment or ongoing maintenance responsibilities.
One technology provider being evaluated is it's electric, which has deployed curbside charging projects in Alameda and San Francisco. Its business model allows Level 2 chargers to connect to either a nearby utility pole or an adjacent property's electrical panel. it's electric also offers a "bring-your-own-cord" model in which the charging station does not provide a permanently attached charging cable. Instead, EV drivers bring a compatible NACS or CCS charging cord and connect it to the charging station. The provider has indicated that cords would be provided at no cost to nearby residents and at a reduced cost for other drivers.
Staff is currently evaluating three City-owned locations for the two final pilot sites. The locations were selected based on factors including proximity to residents and community amenities, availability of parking, anticipated charging demand, proximity to existing EV charging infrastructure, and the feasibility of connecting to existing electrical infrastructure. The chargers will likely receive power from an adjacent building’s electrical panel. Focusing on City-owned locations for this pilot allows for faster decision-making and coordination within the expedited pilot timeline. If the City moves forward with a larger-scale curbside charging program, other locations along City streets could be considered, however, agreements with private property owners would be needed. Staff is also exploring the possibility of connecting to streetlights or utility poles, which will require coordination with Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E).
Weekes Branch Library- 27300 Patrick Avenue
The Weekes Branch Library is a highly visible community-serving facility located near other frequently visited facilities such as Weekes Park. The site could provide an EV charging option for nearby residents who do not have access to home charging while also serving library visitors and other community members. Due to limited curbside space, EV chargers at Weekes Library would be placed inside the parking lot. Library staff noted that the parking lot is typically approximately half full.
Matt Jimenez Community Center / Stack Center - 680 W. Tennyson Road The Matt Jimenez Community Center at the Stack Center is centrally located and has on-street parking available that could serve multiple user groups, including nearby residents, visitors to the community center and Eden Youth & Family Center, and visitors to Tennyson Park. The preliminary concept would install two charging ports on Panjon Street and connect them to the community center's electrical infrastructure.
Municipal Lot #5 - 22456 Maple Ct
If Weekes Library or the Stack Center is determined to be infeasible for EV charger installation, staff has identified Municipal Lot #5 as a backup location. Staff would prefer to prioritize EV charger installations in South Hayward due to the relative lack of existing charging infrastructure in the area. However, Municipal Lot #5 is centrally located near commercial businesses and multifamily housing, including Lincoln Landing, which could provide convenient access to charging for nearby residents and visitors. The two proposed charging spaces would occupy a minimal portion of the lot, helping to address potential concerns from nearby business owners. The spaces would likely be located in the southwest area of the lot to provide greater security and visibility.
Security
Security will be an important consideration at each charging location. The bring-your-own-cord model could reduce some security concerns because the charging stations would not require a permanently attached charging cable that could be damaged or removed. The City and technology provider would also evaluate the placement of equipment, lighting, visibility, and other site-specific security considerations during final site selection and design.
Enforcement and Use of Charging Spaces
Effective enforcement will help ensure that designated EV charging spaces remain available for their intended purpose. Staff reviewed approaches used by the cities of San Francisco; Alexandria, Virginia; and Alameda to inform the proposed enforcement approach. Based on similar parking citation amounts in Hayward, staff recommend a citation amount of $83, which is equivalent to most of Hayward’s parking-related fines that would be enforced after a 30-day leniency period. At the Weekes Branch Library, existing security staff could also monitor charging spaces and place educational flyers on vehicles that occupy the spaces without charging.
For vehicles that remain connected after charging is complete, staff recommends that the technology provider administer an idle fee to encourage turnover. For example, the City of Alameda allows its charging provider to assess a $10 per hour idle fee beginning one hour after charging is complete. This two-tier approach would distinguish between City enforcement of vehicles that are not connected to a charger and provider-administered fees for vehicles that remain connected after charging. Staff will evaluate enforcement activity during the pilot to inform future policies and procedures.
Policy and Regulatory Readiness
Participation in the LACI City Climate Innovation Cohort provides an opportunity for Hayward to advance curbside charging while developing the policies and procedures needed for broader deployment. The cohort is helping the City evaluate intermediate steps such as municipal code amendments, charging station standards, parking and enforcement requirements, license agreements, and other permitting considerations.
The pilot would also help position the City to comply with AB 2427, which will require local agencies to develop a permitting checklist for EV charging stations in the public right-of-way by January 1, 2029. Lessons learned from the pilot can help inform the City's future permitting process and establish a clearer pathway for private and public entities seeking to deploy curbside charging infrastructure.
ECONOMIC IMPACT
The pilot program could provide economic benefits by supporting EV adoption and improving access to charging residents who may otherwise face barriers to electrification.
STRATEGIC ROADMAP
This agenda item supports the Strategic Priority to Reduce Greenhouse Gases and Dependency on Fossil Fuels. Specifically, this item is indirectly related to implementation of the following project:
Project C2: Continue to collaborate with Ava Community Energy to provide public EV charging facilities.
SUSTAINABILITY FEATURES
The proposed pilot would expand access to electric vehicle charging infrastructure and support the transition from gasoline-powered vehicles to electric vehicles. Providing charging in the public right-of-way can particularly benefit residents who do not have access to dedicated off-street parking or home charging. The pilot would also allow the City to gain practical experience with curbside charging technologies, business models, permitting, site design, and community access that could inform future EV infrastructure investments.
PUBLIC CONTACT
No public contact was made for this agenda item.
NEXT STEPS
Staff will incorporate the Committee’s feedback into the pilot design and continue evaluating the three potential locations, with the goal of preparing for project implementation by the end of 2026 and launching the pilot by summer 2027.
Prepared by: Mireille Vargas, Sustainability Specialist Erik Pearson, Environmental Services Manager
Recommended by: Alex Ameri, Director of Public Works
Approved by:
_______________________________
Jennifer Ott, City Manager
https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202320240ab2427