Expanding curbside Level 2 (L2) public charging
The New York City Department of Transportation announced a major expansion of curbside electric vehicle charging, a part of NYC DOT’s PlugNYC charging network, that will add 600 new curbside charging points over the next three years across all five boroughs, expanding from the current 88 Level 2 charging points that are heavily used across the city. As part of the Mamdani administration’s vision for curb management that uses curb space to meet a wider range of public needs, the stations will also include “dig once” electrical connections for other uses where feasible, like e-bike battery charging.
The expansion will help support the city’s ambitious climate goals by facilitating the transition from fossil fuel powered vehicles to electric vehicles. The transportation sector is one of the top contributors to greenhouse gas emissions in New York City. For the transportation sector, NYC DOT's main goal is making it easier and more affordable for New Yorkers to walk, bike, and take transit, but for those who still drive, we need to dramatically accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles. This initiative will make charging more affordable and convenient, helping support the transition from fossil fuel-powered vehicles to electric vehicles and expand charging access to TLC-licensed drivers and residents of low- and moderate-income neighborhoods underserved by private charging options.
NYC DOT plans to install the new chargers over the next three years, in select neighborhoods based on high residential density, limited off-street parking, and a high concentration of TLC-licensed drivers, as well as input received from TLC drivers themselves, starting with: Soundview and Unionport, in the Bronx; Rego Park, Forest Hills, and Far Rockaway, in Queens; Red Hook, Carroll Gardens, and Bedford-Stuyvesant, in Brooklyn; the Upper West Side and Washington Heights, in Manhattan; and Stapleton, on Staten Island, with more to come. Public engagement, design, and construction will be rolling.
Each station will feature at least two charger posts, each with two charging points, for a total of four points per site. All stations will feature the PlugNYC brand. Where feasible, stations will also provide an electrical connection to support e-micromobility charging, such as electrified bikeshare docks, public e-bike charging cabinets, secure bike parking with charging, or cargo bike charging for microhubs. Site selection will be closely coordinated with the agency’s pedestrian, bike, public realm and bus projects to ensure future flexibility.
New York City launched a successful curbside L2 charging pilot in 2021 in partnership with Con Edison and has been operating this public L2 chargers since the end of the pilot in 2025. These existing curbside chargers, located in neighborhoods across the city, are immensely popular with EV owners: these 88 charging points are occupied by an EV over 70% of the time, in some cases close to 99% of the time, and actively delivering energy over 85% of the time they are occupied—the highest rate of utilization of any public curbside network in the country. Utilization is high across all neighborhood income levels and four out of the five highest utilized stations are in zip codes with high concentrations of TLC drivers, in Upper Manhattan, the Bronx and Queens.
As of July 2026, EVs now account for 8.3% of new vehicle registrations in New York City, but to drive EV adoption higher will require addressing the city’s unique charging challenges. In typical American cities, most EV owners can charge in their own driveway or garage, but in our city a high proportion of residents live in apartments or homes without off-street parking, and half of all car owners rely on street parking. Expanding public charging is therefore critical to unlocking greater EV adoption. To address this gap as well as to support the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission’s Green Rides initiative, NYC DOT is making major investments in fast charging and level 2 (L2) charging across the five boroughs,
To install the new chargers, NYC DOT will contract with the New York Power Authority, which is securing the equipment and construction subcontractors best able to meet NYC DOT’s needs. NYC DOT will operate and maintain the chargers via contract, with control over the to-be-determined price charged to EV owners. Pricing will focus on affordability while encouraging reasonable turnover, and revenue received from customer fees will defray operating costs. Drivers will be able to use multiple apps or tap their credit card to pay per kilowatt hour of energy dispensed. Only EVs that are plugged in can legally park at a curbside EV charging station and vehicles parked in these spaces and not connected to the charging station may receive a parking violation.
Community input, design, and construction process
The sites shown are potential sites, which have been identified and screened for feasibility, and have been included in an analysis conducted in compliance with the requirements of NEPA (the National Environmental Protection Act, federal environmental review required when using federal funding)—to present multiple options for public input.
Based on public input, NYC DOT and their contractor will conduct additional site assessment and design, and prepare a subset of the locations shown for 100% design and construction. When ready, these sites will be shared, and then constructed, weather and any other factors permitting.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: What if I don’t see my neighborhood on the portal?
A: NYC DOT is planning to install 150 sites over three years. Public input, design, and construction will take place on a rolling basis, with additional neighborhoods to come, focusing on areas that lack charging options and have lots of TLC-licensed drivers. In the meantime, you can reach out to your NYC DOT Borough Commissioner’s office here to let them know about your interest in curbside EV charging.
Q: What if I want to propose curbside charging at other locations?
A: If you want to suggest other locations for consideration you can do so here. In most cases, DOT will identify and screen potential sites for feasibility in a neighborhood and present multiple options, which have already undergone environmental review to the public for input, rather than taking individual site suggestions. DOT may consider suggestions for additional sites, which would require surveying for feasibility and suitability, assessing prioritization and if using federal funding, perform any supplemental activities for this site to comply with requirements of NEPA, and then solicit public input, before considering for construction.
Q: How does a curbside L2 public charging station work and what does it look like?
A: Drivers can use multiple apps or tap their credit card to pay. Drivers will pay per kilowatt of energy dispensed, and may pay modest overstay fees after a reasonable period of time when they are done receiving energy, to encourage turnover. Only EVs that are plugged in can legally park at a curbside EV charging station. All others are subject to enforcement
Q: Where will curbside L2 public charging go?
A: Sites are selected for feasibility based on existing street conditions, including clearance requirements, reviewed for conflicts with other projects and priorities, and sidewalk accessability for users of the station in wheelchairs.
Where possible, sites will also provide electrical connections for e-micromobility charging, such as electrified bikeshare docks, public e-bike charging cabinets, secure bike parking with charging or cargo bike charging for microhubs. Sites will be coordinated with pedestrian, transit, and bike priority, street improvement projects, and opportunities for public realm enhancement.
Site identification will be focused on an initial project area associated with DOT’s federal funding award, selected for high residential density, multi-family housing, and limited private off-street parking, as shown below, as well as additional census, vehicle registration, and zoning data, data from the NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) about where drivers live, and comments received from TLC drivers themselves on where they wanted to see curbside L2 charging, among other factors, as shown below.
