Affordable, Convenient and now, Electric - I-Go to Introduce Solar Canopy Charging Stations to Area
Planning for I-Go’s solar canopy and charging stations will be advancing after City Council recently approved the location for two stations. Lot 3 (at the Main Library) and Lot 32 (Hinman Ave, south of Main St.) were chosen as the locations where I-Go will be installing solar canopies and electric vehicle charging stations for its new cars.
“The next step is for I-Go to move forward with putting together detailed plans that they would then show to the engineering department and for the city’s attorneys and I-Go’s attorneys to work out all the details and sign an agreement,” explained Sustainable Programs Coordinator, Catherine Hurley.
Although construction of the actual charging stations will not begin for some time, according to the grant I-Go received for this project everything has to be constructed and finished by the end of the year. The solar canopies and charging stations will allow I-Go to add low emission electric vehicles to their fleet of cars available for rental. The solar canopies will occupy four parking spaces and I-Go has agreed to pay a monthly lease for each space in use.
Transportation emissions are the third largest contributor of greenhouse gasses in the community and the I-Go car sharing program helps to reduce emissions, congestion on the road and parking demands. I-Go currently has 11 vehicles in Evanston, and residents are able to rent a car whenever the need arises. The addition of electric vehicles to I-Go’s car sharing program will allow Evanston to have cars in the community that have a lower carbon footprint.