City of Albany: Preliminary EV Curbside Charging Analysis
The Transportation Council and Capital District Regional Planning Commission have prepared this technical memorandum on behalf of the City of Albany to assist with future public electric vehicle (EV) curbside charging station siting. Interest in preliminarily exploring the best EV charging infrastructure siting opportunities was expressed by the City of Albany, with a focus on the following study area: Ontario/S Main and the neighborhoods toward the river, including South End, Arbor Hill, Mansion, Center Square, Hudson/Pastures, Second, Delaware, Sheridan Hollow, West Hill, Pine Hills, Park South, and the warehouse district (North Albany).
Use the interactive map below to explore potential EV curbside charging station locations across Albany’s neighborhoods!
Methodology
The methodology is presented in five steps. Use the dots below to click through each step and review the full process.
First Criterion:
Blocks Comprised of 50% of More Renters (Renter Density)
Reason: Limited access to private driveways or garages, greater density, and potentially higher utilization rates.
Methodology: To identify areas with higher concentrations of renters, tax parcel data were used to classify parcels as 220 (two-family), 230 (three-family), or 411 (apartments), based on the assumption that these property types are more likely to be renter-occupied. Parcels were aggregated to the census block level to calculate the percentage of renter-occupied units within each block. Blocks that contained 50% or more renter parcels were selected for further analysis.
Sources: Tax Parcel Data, Albany County (Accessed 9.4.25) & 2020 Blocks, U.S. Census (Accessed 9.4.25)
Second Criterion:
Excluding EV On-Street Parking in Commercial Zones (Exclude Commercial Zones)
Reason: As per the guidance in NYSERDA’s Curb Enthusiasm: Report for On-Street Electric Vehicle Charging, installations are recommended on side streets over main avenues. In doing so, EV chargers are less likely to create conflict over perceived loss of parking in front of retail businesses.
Methodology: Zoning data from the City of Albany were reviewed to identify commercial and mixed-use districts. The following zones were excluded from consideration: Mixed-Use Campus/Institutions, Mixed-Use Community Highway, Mixed-Use Community Urban, Mixed-Use Downtown, Mixed-Use Form-Based Central Avenue, Mixed-Use Form-Based Midtown, Mixed-Use Form-Based South End, Mixed-Use Form-Based Warehouse District, Mixed-Use Neighborhood Center, and Mixed-Use Neighborhood Edge. Only sites located outside of these zones were moved forward in the siting analysis.
Sources: Zoning Districts, City of Albany (Accessed 9.4.25), Streetlight Data, City of Albany (Accessed 9.4.25), Utility Pole Data, City of Albany (Accessed 9.9.25)
Third Criterion:
Street Segment Selection on the Same Side as Utility Poles or Streetlights (Access to Power)
Reason: For this study, grid connections are limited to existing utility poles or streetlights. As power cannot be easily extended across the street, only road segments located on the same side as these assets were considered suitable for EV charger installation.
Methodology: A spatial selection by location was used to identify street segments aligned with existing utility poles or streetlights. Only these segments were retained and advanced for further analysis.
Sources: Streetlight Data, City of Albany (Accessed 9.9.25) & Utility Pole Data, City of Albany (Accessed 9.9.25)
Fourth Criterion:
Streets with Parking Available for at Least 6 Days a Week (Parking)
Reason: Streets with parking restrictions, such as alternate-side, limited-duration, or limited-use parking, are not suitable for Level 2 on-street chargers, which typically require 8-10 hours for a full charge. Therefore, the longer the availability to park and charge the longer and less interrupted a person can charge.
Methodology: Parking restriction data from the City were used to identify streets with adequate parking availability. Streets with prohibitive restrictions were excluded, while streets allowing long-duration or unrestricted parking were prioritized for potential EV charger locations.
Sources: Parking Data, City of Albany (Accessed 9.3.25)
Fifth Criterion:
Capacity of Power
Reason: Access to available electrical capacity is critical for the placement of EV infrastructure. Road segments near higher-capacity distribution lines are more suitable, as they can support charging stations without extensive upgrades.
Methodology: From the segments identified in the earlier stages of the analysis, each was compared against the distribution network with available capacity provided by the National Grid EV Capacity dataset. Segments were assigned the capacity value of the closest distribution line, while those without nearby capacity were left null and excluded from the analysis. To establish suitability, priority was then assigned according to line type. Road segments on feeder level 3 lines were selected as primary candidates, as these lines provide the most available capacity, while road segments on Phase 1 or Phase 2 lines were assigned as secondary candidates, representing lower but still viable options for supporting EV infrastructure.
Sources: National Grid, EV Load-Serving Capacity Application NY (Accessed 9.3.25)
Priority EV Charging Station Sites
Applying the above criteria resulted in a refined set of candidate street segments across the City of Albany that meet the conditions for potential level 2 on-road EV charger installation. These locations reflect a balance of renter density, zoning considerations, infrastructure access, parking availability, and electrical capacity.
The results are broken out into two priority levels:
· Primary Candidates: Street segments that follow all criteria and are located along feeder level 3 distribution lines, ensuring the most electrical capacity and the ability to host multiple chargers per segment.
· Secondary Candidates: Street segments that meet all criteria but are located along Phase 1 or Phase 2 distribution lines. These locations remain suitable for charger installation, though available capacity may be more limited, potentially supporting fewer chargers per segment or longer charge time.
