Mayor Bob Donchez announced today various multiple Sustainability Driven Initiatives and Partnerships between the City of Bethlehem and the Bethlehem Parking Authority.
The first initiative welcomes the installation of ten Electric Vehicle Charging Stations to City of Bethlehem’s Parking Authority properties.
The installation of these new stations doubles the amount of existing EV stations that are already in place at various BPA locations.
EV Charging stations are in the South New Street Garage, Riverport Garage, North Street Garage, Walnut Street Garage, Broad Street Lot, and the Old York Road Lot. These Charging Stations are part of the Blink and ChargePoint charging station network and are available to all EV drivers.
The Parking Authority will also be adding an electric vehicle to their fleet as it is welcoming its first Electric Vehicle, which will be used to assist with Parking Control Operations.
The BPA also plans to add an additional electric vehicle in their 2022 budget.
“Electric vehicles are an important piece to combating climate change and we’re happy to provide a vast and accessible EV charging station system for our visitors and residents,” said Mayor Donchez.
.jpeg.aspx?width=325&height=243 "mayorcar-(1).jpeg")
In March, the BPA Board of Directors passed a Sustainable Design Standard that implements sustainability design and operational standards, procedures and processes in the design, construction, and operations of any new parking structure.
These standards will be following the Green Business Certification ParkSmart certification program, the leading tool for developing high-performance, user-friendly parking assets to support communities’ sustainability and health goals.
“Parksmart brings to Bethlehem the wisdom and experience of over 300 parking, technology, and sustainability experts on how to build parking structures that save money, support the mobility choices community members desire, build healthier communities, and grow sustainable transportation networks," said Paul Wessel at the U.S. Green Building Council. “We commend Mayor Donchez and the BPA for recognizing the importance of developing parking structures that support Bethlehem today and help build for tomorrow.”
“These initiatives strengthen the commitment of sustainability in the City of Bethlehem as we remain focused on the conservation of our natural resources and the health and vitality of our community,” said Mayor Donchez.