Proposal Overview · July 2026
Safe residential curbside charging for residents without driveways
Thousands of Alexandria households — especially in the city's older rowhouse and townhouse neighborhoods — park on the street because their homes have no driveway or garage. Today those residents have no lawful, practical way to charge an electric vehicle from their own home. This site presents the research behind a proposed Residential EV Charging Access Pilot: a limited, revocable City permit allowing an eligible resident to route a charging cable across the sidewalk under an approved protective cover, only while actively charging.
The problem in brief
Alexandria has adopted ambitious electrification and climate goals, and its 2020 EV Readiness Strategy explicitly identifies residents without driveways or garages as a charging use case. The City is deploying public curbside chargers under a vendor-operated program approved in February 2026 — but that program serves a different need: publicly accessible infrastructure. It is not a pathway for a resident to use their own charging equipment, on their own electrical service, to charge a car parked at the curb in front of their home.
Historically, any cord across a sidewalk was treated as an unsafe temporary obstruction under general right-of-way practice (Alexandria Code §5-2-29 and related provisions). That was a reasonable default before EVs. Today it leaves a growing group of residents with a choice between forgoing an EV or relying entirely on public charging that costs several times more — in money and, above all, in time. The research on this site quantifies that gap and shows how peer cities have closed it safely.
Figures from the cost analysis; assumptions and sensitivity ranges documented there.
The proposal in one paragraph
Requested action
City Council should direct the City Manager — through T&ES, the Office of Climate Action, Code Administration, and the City Attorney — to develop a limited Residential EV Charging Access Pilot: roughly 25–50 revocable permits over 24 months allowing eligible residents without usable off-street parking to route a charging cable across the public sidewalk using City-approved protective equipment, with inspection, electrical-safety and accessibility requirements, removal when not actively charging, no reserved parking, and a formal evaluation report to Council.
The core principle throughout: regulate outcomes, not prohibitions. The City already manages temporary encroachments on the right-of-way with engineering judgment — construction zones, moving pods, dumpsters, special events. The same framework can deliver safe pedestrian passage, certified electrical equipment, and responsible temporary use of the curb for a nightly residential charging scenario.
What the research shows
Cable protection
Temporary cable protectors should be evaluated as temporary pedestrian facilities — the framework the ADA, VDOT work-zone guidance, and Alexandria's own Maintenance-of-Traffic policy already use — not as permanent ADA infrastructure.
Read the analysis →Electrical safety
Safety comes from certified EVSE (UL 2594, UL 2231, SAE J1772, NEC Article 625) — not from the charging level. The permit should require certified equipment, not restrict residents to Level 1.
Read the analysis →Insurance
Alexandria's own encroachment guidance uses $500,000 limits for residential encroachments, reserving $1M for commercial uses. A residential cable crossing belongs in the residential tier.
Read the analysis →Cost of access
Home charging costs ~$1,128/yr all-in. Relying on public charging costs $3,200–$16,000/yr once travel and waiting time are valued — even under assumptions deliberately favorable to public charging.
Explore the model →Peer cities
Seattle, Cambridge, and other cities already allow residential across-sidewalk charging with cable covers — through simple guidance or lightweight permits, without reported harm.
See the programs →And one case study
What happens today, without a permit pathway? One resident's cable ramp generated eleven 311 reports in 52 days — and zero injuries. A satirical exhibit, built from public records.
Open the dossier →Where to start
- Council & staff: The Pilot Program — the requested action, eligibility, permit conditions, and evaluation metrics.
- Engineers & advocates: Proposed Engineering Standards — the performance-based standards the proposal recommends.
- Residents: FAQ — extension cords, trips, snow, wheelchairs, and what a permit would and wouldn't allow.