| Oregon EV Charging Station Sign Approved |
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| ODOT News |
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May 19, 2011
For more information: Shelley M. Snow, ODOT Public Affairs, (503) 881-5362
SALEM – The Oregon Department of Transportation has received interim approval from the Federal Highway Administration to use a sign indicating the location of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations. Any road authority in Oregon can now begin producing the signs for highways and streets that will let motorists know where EV charging stations are located.
The new sign is a variation of FHWA’s current EV charging station design. ODOT requested a different sign after EV advocates in Oregon objected to the existing symbol because it depicted a gas pump, symbolizing the nation’s reliance on fossil fuels. The new symbol, designed initially by ODOT’s sign shop, replaces the pump with an electrical cord. ODOT worked with sign designers from the Washington Department of Transportation to submit a final design, and it received approval in early May.
“What this means is that any state or local jurisdiction in the country can use the alternative sign to indicate an EV charging station,” said Art James, EV project director at ODOT. “Our hope in requesting this change was to increase public awareness and acceptance so consumers know what to look for and can easily recognize places where they can charge their cars.”
The sign is “interim” because signing is regulated by the U.S. Department of Transportation through the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, or MUTCD. Interim approval usually leads to the sign becoming official the next time the MUTCD is revised. Charging stations are currently being installed around Oregon through several programs. The EV Project by ECOtality, the West Coast Green Highway, and TIGER II funding are all supporting EV infrastructure in the state. For more information, visit http://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/HWY/OIPP/inn_ev-charging.shtml.
##ODOT##
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