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Ordinance for free parking for electric cars approved
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LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL
Electric car drivers won't have to put money in parking meters in Las Vegas under an ordinance approved Wednesday.
The City Council voted unanimously for the ordinance, which was mandated by a law the Nevada Legislature approved earlier this year.
Under the state law, local communities are required to allow drivers of alternative fuel vehicles to park without paying.
The city ordinance enacts the law in the city and establishes a permit system, which will go into effect Jan. 3.
Under the system, drivers of electric cars such as the Chevy Volt or Nissan Leaf can apply for a permit, pay a $10 fee and park at metered spaces without paying.
"It is a feel-good bill by the state, which is coming at the expense of local governments," said Councilman Bob Coffin, a former state legislator and Chevy Volt driver who said he supports the concept.
Despite the ordinance, parking will not be a free-for-all. Electric car drivers will be required to obey time limits posted at meters and other city-managed parking spaces.
Also, conventional hybrid drive vehicles such as the Toyota Prius will not qualify for the program.
Residents with questions are urged to call 229-4700 starting Jan. 3.
Contact reporter Benjamin Spillman at bspillman@gmail.com or 702-229-6435.
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You state that Councilman Bob Coffin is a Chevy Volt driver. Is he also a Chevy Volt owner, or is it one of the Chevy Volts which the CLV bought with 2009 ARRA stimulus funds? They will be getting three more, BTW. This is insane: First taxpayers are forced to bail out the company. Then, we are forced to subsidize the purchase of electric vehicles. Now, the pencil-necked geeks who own them, receive special parking privileges. The final insult? THEY WILL RECEIVE FREE CHARGING PRIVILEGES.
The state already complains high milage car owners don't pay enough taxes to support the roads they use because we collect the tax on fuel sales, now they want to let them park for free as well? Wacky democrats
[Eyeroll] This is what we elect and pay these people for?
what a bunch of complete bull###$, first of all only a complete moron will go out and pay 40,000 for the car,figure it wheres the savings,but its the carbon footprint that makes these idiots feel good,i wonder how many cars this fine administration has bought
A young lady was recently hired or promoted to the RJ online manager position. She obviously isn't up to the job. Our postings are still being chopped off at the right margins. WAKE UP WEBMASTER
One of those three electric car owners is councilman Bob Coffin. He was term limited out of his long time state legislative job. His wife still holds her vanity job at UNLV under her maiden name. They are professional freeloaders.
Don't get excited folks. There are only three electric cars that qualify. That means three bicycle parking slots are needed. Stand back and watch them race for free parking downtown. Call it the "Mentally challenged marathon."
The owners have proven themselves crazy by buying the electric toys. Meantime the rest of us park free all over the rest of the valley.
I'm a gonna go electric. Get me a electric car and a trailer. Put a good old 350 chevy V/8 hooked to a good generator and a 40 gallon gas tank on the trailer and hook it up to my electric car. I'll run a pair of jumper cables to the electric car and I'm all set for free parking, government discounts, pats on the backs from green queens. I could build them for others. I got enough room on the side of my trailer. I could keep the spare salvaged parts in the front yard. City couldn't say nothing about the mess cause I got an electric car.
Don't limit it to golf carts. Take your power chair and your mobile scooter and electric wheelchair. Tie up all the parking spots. They are all electric.
Poorly conceived, moronic and intrusive on the part of the State Legislature. The City Council should have developed some new b*lls and just declined to bother passing this stupid ordinance when staff and the city manager kept reminding them that they were obligated by the 2011 Legislature to pass it through for 5 years. The State has no recourse or penalty or recourse other than grumpiness at the city during the 2013 legislative session.