As part of the Official Plan, there are several considerations that the City of Ottawa has placed on electric vehicle infrastructure. This includes providing designated parking spaces for electric vehicles in the planning application process, and new developments shall also provide dedicated spaces for electric vehicle charging stations.
The City of Ottawa’s updated Zoning By-law may also determine a minimum electric vehicle charging equipment requirements, where private parking is provided for larger-scale mixed-use, mid-rise and high-rise residential, office and industrial developments. Further discussion and consultation will be needed to determine what these minimum levels will be established at.
As part of the Transportation Master Plan, the City of Ottawa will be looking to deploy charging infrastructure in areas of higher urban density, rental housing and limited off-street parking options. These areas have greater barriers for vehicle drivers to transition to electric vehicles, and this will support greater equity in the transition to electric mobility. The product will include a map of priority street for EV charging stations so that space within the right-of-way can be provided at the time of road reconstruction or civil works to ensure that costs can be reduced and infrastructure does not have to be retrofitted after construction is complete. This consideration will need to be balanced against the other potential uses of the right-of-way, including street-side patios, food truck stands, stormwater management, and parking for commercial cargo bikes, personal bikes and e-scooters.
In the meantime, the City is installing 24 charging stations across 12 different locations within the right-of-way to create greater opportunities for EV drivers to charge their vehicles in the community. These are being deployed in areas of higher density and limited off-street parking to provide a reliable vehicle charging option for residents in the area to use and transition from gasoline vehicles to electric. Staff will be monitoring the use of these stations to plan the development of any future charging stations across Ottawa. Staff have also received public input through Engage Ottawa to learn where residents see opportunities for future charging stations and have also secured funding to install charging stations at City of Ottawa facilities.
