Rigel Leonard

NYC ReCharged is a proposal to transform underused spaces beneath highways, rail viaducts, overpasses, and large public parking fields into accessible electric vehicle charging hubs.

The proposal focuses on a practical barrier to EV adoption in dense cities: residents without private driveways need reliable charging that fits into the street and public infrastructure they already use.

At 170 East End Ave, an existing FLO curbside installation shows the smallest useful version of this idea. It has only two chargers, but the chargers appear consistently used.

The point is not that two chargers solve the citywide gap. The point is that curbside charging can exist without dramatically reducing parking availability, which makes it a credible building block for wider deployment.

This site is beneath and near the BQE in Clinton Hill, close to the Brooklyn Navy Yard. It demonstrates how an underutilized parking area can be upgraded without treating the site as empty land.

The proposal is to preserve most existing parking while converting approximately 10% of the area into Level 2 EV charging. Charging, lighting, and maintenance would make the space more productive without requiring major land acquisition.

Jacob Riis Beach has a very large parking field serving beach visitors, seasonal tourism, and local recreation. The proposal is to reserve a small portion of the lot, such as approximately 30 spaces, while preserving the overwhelming majority of existing parking.

A row near the park ranger office and entrance booths may be a practical starting point because utility access may already be nearby. This could support an EVolve NY-style project with both Level 2 and Level 3 charging.

Floyd Bennett Field is a large recreational and historic airfield area. Its charging role is different from a neighborhood curbside or underpass site.

A Rivian Adventure Network-style hub could support campers, beach visitors, regional travelers, and recreational users while fitting the outdoor and adventure character of the site.

This site sits beneath the Metro-North viaduct on Park Avenue between East 112th Street and East 113th Street, north of the Harlem Garden Center.

Like the BQE example, the proposal is to preserve most existing parking while reserving a small percentage of spaces for Level 2 EV charging. It could also support local activity by serving people visiting the Harlem Garden Center or nearby businesses.

The sites are not interchangeable. A curbside proof point, a BQE underpass, a beach parking field, Floyd Bennett Field, and a Harlem rail viaduct serve different users.

The scalable idea is the method: identify infrastructure that already exists, reserve a small and practical charging allocation, add lighting and maintenance, and connect the site to the community or destination it already supports.