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Sen Vin Gopal joined city officials, Sustainable Jersey and Clean Cities Coalition members at Thursday’s electric car charging station launch.

“All over the state people are talking about Asbury Park and it’s because of things like this, the leadership and from the city employees,” Gopal said. “This is extraordinary. It will be a great model and everyday Asbury Park is making us proud; so keep it up.”

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The launch makes Asbury Park the first Jersey Shore municipality to offer a municipal electric vehicle charging program,” Mayor John Moor said. 

“This has got to be the biggest ribbon cutting and rightly so,” Moor said. “I think we are the second in the state and the first on the [Jersey] Shore. This is fantastic and I’m so glad this happened.” 

Funded in part by a Department of Environmental Protection grant, the Mattison Electric Vehicle [EV] charging station is one of three to be completed within the next few months, Transportation Director Michael Manzella said. Stations will be placed on Sunset and on Springwood avenues. 

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“These EV charging stations are just one piece of the overall sustainable transportation puzzle that we have been working on,” Manzella said. “We have had bike share for just about 2 years, recently launched our scooter program, now we have electric vehicle charging, and soon as part of this program, we will have the car-share program.”

This summer also saw an uptick in jitney services and a pedicab option for those who traverse within city limits.

“Once the EV car share program is in place, we hope that it will provide further incentive for households to reduce the number of cars that they own and provide an option for zero-car households,” Manzella said. 

Greenspot, the City’s Electric Vehicle [EV] charging partner, completed the electric charging infrastructure, located on Mattison Avenue between Main Street and Bond Street. Four parking spaces are reserved exclusively for EV charging at an hourly rate of $2 and a reduced nightly rate to encourage overnight charging; additional parking rates do apply.

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“This is an extremely exciting moment for us,” said Greenspot Chief Operating Officer Michael Mazur. “To launch in Asbury Park, the first in the area, this is a chance for us to see how we can look into the future and see how electrification of mobility can ultimately bring communities together and really lead the way to a future with less emissions. We’re proud to help promote sustainable methods of transportation in Asbury Park and help mitigate the reliance on fossil fuels.”

Based in Jersey City, Greenspot is an award-winning smart mobility company. Company estimates show that over the last five years, initiatives have removed 650 personally-owned vehicles from public roads, driving a reduction in vehicle miles traveled by an estimated 4.5 million and reducing carbon emissions by over 1,750 tons.

“We provide resources and guidance to cities and schools to get more sustainable to ultimately fight climate change,” said Joe Grillo, development director at Sustainable Jersey. “These are the projects that we love to see. Asbury Park is the first to be Silver certified in Monmouth County. Making the town EV friendly is one of the energy actions to making your town energy gold; there’s only one in the state with that distinction. This opens up the town to different grant opportunities.”

Greenspot officials said once all three stations are completed they will launch the car-sharing program.

“The EV program is an important component in our efforts to create a green future for Asbury Park,” said Deputy Mayor Amy Quinn. “It represents an opportunity to protect the environment, improve public health outcomes by reducing air pollution, and provide an equitable transportation option in the City.”

For more information on Greenspot, visit joingreenspot.com.

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