The north end of the County City Building. (Jeff Motz/KFOR News)LINCOLN–(News Release/KFOR Jan. 13)–The City of Lincoln has received a $640,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation to help install 20 electric vehicle (EV) charging ports in areas that benefit low and moderate-income residents. “By expanding public charging infrastructure, the City will remove barriers to EV ownership and ensure the benefits of clean transportation are accessible to all residents, while helping the City achieve its Climate Action Plan goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 80% by 2050,” said Kim Morrow, Lincoln Chief Sustainability Officer. Morrow said the goal of the Electric Vehicle Charging Project is to provide charging access to 1,650 multifamily housing units within a 10-minute walk of the charging sites. The chargers will be installed in five selected census tracts which collectively have a population of more than 23,000 residents. These tracts have a racial and ethnic minority population of 31.5% and a poverty rate of 24%. Each of the five sites will feature two charging stations, with two ports per station, for a total of 10 charging stations with 20 ports. The proposed sites include: Seng Park off of 48th and Francis….Van Dorn Park at 9th and High Street…..the Malone Center at 20th and “U”, Eiseley Library near 14th and Superior and the future new transportation center at 10th and “G” Street. The $800,000 project is funded by the $640,000 DOT grant and $160,000 from the City of Lincoln. To determine the five new EV charging station locations, the City conducted a comprehensive analysis focused on identifying areas with a significant number of low- and moderate-income residents living in multifamily housing who currently do not have access to an EV charging station within a 10-minute walk. Additionally, the selected locations are either within or in close proximity to designated disadvantaged census tracts and offer convenient access to bike and pedestrian trails. Morrow said City of Lincoln plans to use 5% of the grant funds for community engagement and education in the neighborhoods where the new charging stations will be placed. “Our outreach will focus on residents in nearby multifamily housing who stand to benefit the most from the use of the charging stations. The outreach will include education on EVs, including battery range, driving experience, cost savings, how to charge, and more,” Morrow said. Project partners include Lincoln Electric System, Lincoln Metropolitan Organization, Nebraska Clean Cities Coalition, Malone Community Center, and Nebraska Department of Transportation. The Electric Vehicle Charging Project is part of the City’s Climate Action Plan. For more information, visit lincoln.ne.gov/Resilient.