Bloomberg to introduce electric car parking mandate, styrofoam ban

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg will call for 20 percent more parking for electric cars and a ban on styrofoam in his State of the City address Thursday night.

“Twenty percent of any new parking spaces created in the city — and this would be a building code requirement — would have to be capable of being wired so they are able to charge electric vehicles,” said Deputy Mayor Cas Holloway, CBS New York reports.

SEE RELATED: After soda regs, Bloomberg’s NYC eyes Styrofoam ban

The city creates 10,000 new parking spaces every year. The city currently only has 100 charging stations. The demand for electric car charging stations is low, but the city says it expects it to grow. Some New Yorkers aren’t pleased with the idea.

“We don’t have enough parking spots on the street, and now you’re going to eliminate parking spots from our indoor garages?” one woman told CBS.

“How many people have electric cars?” a man said. “How many people can afford an electric car?”

Other drivers think the proposal is a good idea to help preserve the planet.

The mayor will also propose doubling recycling to 30 percent in the next five years and banning Styrofoam.

“It ends up in landfills, and it contaminates other recyclables,” Mr. Holloway told CBS.

The City Council will have to approve both measures before they’re adopted, but City Hall is confident the rules will pass.

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