Pennsylvania Parking Lot Opens For Green Cars, Carpoolers Only

Home

News

Gas Mileage

Pennsylvania Parking Lot Opens For Green Cars, Carpoolers Only

Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield

Contributing Writer BIO

Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield is a self-confessed petrol head. She grew up in a carless family but was able at a very early age to name cars passing her on... More

LATEST ARTICLE
Volvo S60 KERS Hybrid Prototype: Brief First Drive
Can you really improve fuel economy and performance just by taking a production car with a... Read More

#13LEADERBOARD RANK
1409ARTICLES CONTRIBUTED
22COMMENTS POSTED

1,497 views Aug 27, 2012

Follow Nikki

Add to circle

Photo by Alana J.Mauger, via Montgomery County Community College

Enlarge Photo

Related Photo Galleries

See more photos »

If you drive a plug-in electric or hybrid car, you may have encountered the reserved ‘green car only’ parking spaces that some towns, cities and businesses put in parking lots to reward you for choosing a green car.

We’ve even heard of parking garages where owners of plug-in cars pay less than everyone else to park, but now a college in Pennsylvania is taking the idea of green-car only parking to the next level.

Montgomery County Community College has just opened a parking lot adjacent to its Advanced Technology Center at its Central Campus exclusively for green cars and carpoolers.

To gain permission to park there, students, faculty and staff will have to apply for a special access card and parking decal.

Parking lot

Enlarge Photo

Only carpoolers, owners of plug-in cars, hybrid cars, and those with gas mileages higher than 27 mpg combined will be eligible to apply.

Those lucky enough to park there will find ten electric car charging stations, energy-saving LED lighting, and various other green-building features designed to manage water runoff correctly and encourage sustainability.

As far as we know, this is one of the first green-car-only parking lots we’ve seen in the U.S.

But do you know differently? Have you parked in a lot specifically reserved for greener cars? How was it? And would you want this kind of parking to become more common?

Let us know your thoughts in the Comments below.

+++++++++++

Follow GreenCarReports on Facebook and Twitter.

Tags:

Posted in:

News Gas Mileage Green Hybrid

Contribute

Send us a tip Comment Contact the editor

People Who Read This Article Also Read

Have an opinion?

Comments (4)

Xiaolong Li Posted: 8/27/2012 10:37am PDT

EV, Hybrid and carpoolers all make sense. But I think the 27mpg is bit low requirement.

My old 1996 Saturn SL2 with 5 speed manual could do easily 32mpg in mixed driving my so called "crazy" style...

Post Reply

Vote

Bad stuff?

Erik Roberts Posted: 8/27/2012 1:41pm PDT

Yeah I was wondering where that 27mpg number came from too. That mpg number should be at least 40 so only full hybrids like the Prius, Insight, Civic, and plug-in hybrids are eligible. Perhaps they'll raise the mpg minimum over time or eventually eliminate ice then hybrid vehicles using the lot altogether as more staff n students use plug-in vehicles.

The green lot could use solar pv coverd parking covers like I see at some parking lots. Would be nice to see PV panels at the lot recharging almost exclusively EVs there in a few years.

Post Reply

Vote

Bad stuff?

John Briggs Posted: 8/28/2012 5:53am PDT

I wonder if they are trying to avoid an empty parking lot.

Near my house is a hotel with way too many hybrid parking spaces. As a hybrid driver I appreciate the effort, but no one can benefit if too many spaces are marked for hybrid.

Post Reply

Bad stuff?

Erik Roberts Posted: 8/28/2012 1:04pm PDT

Yes, but it's an "if you build, they will come" thing here w/ this college parking lot. A hotel seems a little strange to have a whole lot of green parking spots cause the folks using them are so transitory and/or using rental cars. With the college parking lot, students and especially staff that will use it for months and years will have another good incentive to buy an eligible vehicle.

I also think that perhaps some of the more influential staff, faculty, or administration at the college just happen to have vehicles currently that just get that 27 combined mpg...hell even the current four banger accord gets 27.

Post Reply

Vote

Bad stuff?