FOLLOWUP: Morgan Junction EV-charging lot schedule sliding

| Environment | Transportation | West Seattle news

(WSB photo)

A few readers have asked lately about the status of the future Morgan Junction EV-charging lot, eight spaces with chargers on an ex-substation site east of 42nd SW, between Fauntleroy Way SW and SW Morgan. Early this year, Seattle City Light told the Morgan Community Association that design was at 90 percent, and they expected that construction would be under way by now. We checked with SCL’s Jenn Strang about the status, and she told us:

Morgan Junction is our largest and most ambitious EV-charging station project to date requiring more time, engineering, and permitting than one of our more typical EV charging station projects. We’ve also experienced significant delays with procurement of the chargers and other electric service equipment. This is likely due to the rapid increase in transportation electrification costs nationwide.

So what’s the revised timeline? Strang didn’t say (we’re asking again on followup), and the project website hasn’t been updated since the early-in-the-year briefing.

Jay October 23, 2024 (5:06 pm)

Originally proposed in April 2022! 2 1/2 years later and not even a date. Woof.

Purple Pilot October 23, 2024 (6:58 pm)

8 stations described as “ambitious”?! The Earth will be fried before we are electrified. Public execution is so useful!

GW Neighbor October 23, 2024 (7:21 pm)

I am pro electric car but god help us if we are supposed to only sell electric cars in Washington state by 2035. The infrastructure is not even close to being able to support this. Not just charging stations but the whole electrical grid is not ready. Add in phasing out natural gas and man are we in for some serious rate increases to play catch-up for all of this. The city needs to figure a way to make all this more efficient.

Derp October 23, 2024 (7:28 pm)

What a waste of tax money. You buy it, you pay for it.

WSB October 23, 2024 (7:48 pm)

This isn’t free charging.
- Derp October 23, 2024 (10:43 pm)
  
  Still a waste of tax money
  - KM October 24, 2024 (9:51 am)
    
    Cars (ICE or electric) receive the biggest subsidies of any form of local transportation. This is nothing new. Nobody who owns a car is “paying for it” on their own.

MrgJunRes October 23, 2024 (8:40 pm)

What a terrible use of land in the Morgan Junction. With lots of dense housing popping up in the area, it’s crazy that the city decided that a parking lot makes the most sense. Even if they just paved it and let restaurants set up food trucks on the lot, would have done more for the community.

Mr J October 23, 2024 (9:47 pm)

What? Have you actually looked at the parcel, it’s super tiny. We need more charging stations. You want to know a worse use of public land that we’re paying for… West Seattle Golf Course.This will serve the community. Not everything has to be for you.
- Disgusted October 25, 2024 (12:39 am)
  
  And creating a dog playground by the West Seattle track course is a good use of land? Bahhh… that’s a waste use of my proprry taxes to provide accommodation for a number of pampered pooches. This should be a high rise apartment complex to meet the demand for dense housing – its right on a bus route and walking distance to a bus Transfer location. How’d this happen: dog park (poop ground) wins out over the need for dense housing.
Sam October 24, 2024 (8:45 am)

I’m also generally in favor of any other land use over parking, but there will need to be public charging infrastructure somewhere, especially as we remove parking minimums from housing. Besides, this lot would make for mediocre housing or retail.

Scott October 24, 2024 (8:47 am)

All electric vehicles by 2035 is ridiculous. Most gas vehicles should be transitioned to hybrid vehicles first before requiring all electric vehicles.

JustSarah October 24, 2024 (9:09 am)

The goal is for all new vehicles sold to be electric by 2035. Not for all vehicles on the road to be.

Drock October 27, 2024 (11:49 am)

The city’s EV charges are underutilized and I think they need a better strategy. Many have their cords cut and the ones that are working are overpriced, why would I use them when they cost almost twice as much than the power from my home. On top of that DC fast charging is great for long range driving but it’s rarely needed in the city, what’s often needed in the city is a place to park and slow charge. If the city made more simple 50amp 240v plugs available at the same price as home power I would use them, they would also cost way less to install and operate than these big DC fast chargers. I think if they let businesses and apartments build publicly available EV chargers in city parking strips and resell power it would also open up the market for charging significantly.

Malluboy October 27, 2024 (1:41 pm)

I’m one of the converts to EVs. Live in West Seattle. I have to go to George Town/Tukwila/RainierBeach to find a charger. I use Electrify America charger. Sometimes all the cables are cut. How pathetic. Risking your life for 1.5 pounds of copper wire.

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