Shoppers Lane Charging Depot (Photo – City of Pasadena)
I’m writing to voice growing frustration over the worsening state of PWP DC fast chargers in Pasadena.
By Victor Caballero
At the Glenarm/Arroyo station, only one out of six chargers is currently operational. All DC fast chargers at both Victory Park and Robinson Park are now inoperable. To make matters worse, the situation at Shoppers Lane and Robinson Park has become chaotic due to the recently implemented 2-hour EV parking limit in fast charging spaces, something virtually unheard of elsewhere. Fast chargers are meant for quick turnaround, not long-term parking; 30 minutes is the commonly accepted best practice. In addition, there are no idle fees and little to no enforcement of the charging in accordance with CVC 22511, according to which vehicles parked in EV charging locations must be charging and, if they are not, they are subject to citation or tow. These signs are now clearly posted, but the rules are not being enforced.
Meanwhile new chargers are being added at the Marengo Plaza parking structure where few people will make the trek through the parking structure and then have to pay for parking.
It’s discouraging that emails and phone calls to report these issues have led to little change. These problems seriously undermine the city’s support for electric vehicle adoption and sustainability goals. The goal of PWP was to have all DC fast chargers working by now.
Per an email from David Reyes GM of PWP on April 9, 2025:
To this end, we have committed resources and developed a plan to fix about half of all broken chargers BY THE END OF THIS MONTH and the balance of them over the next three months.”
We are doing nothing else with the program right now but focused solely on fixing the broken chargers.
Thank you for your patience.
David M. Reyes”
I urge city officials to address these issues promptly and communicate clearly with the public about their plan.
Sincerely,
Victor Caballero
Leave a Reply