Boston Parking Lot to Discount 'Green' Vehicles, Penalize 'Gas Guzzlers

Let's say you're in Boston and you're driving to a Celtics or Bruins game. If you’re driving a snazzy “clean” energy vehicle and you want to park in that new lot they're putting in Bulfinch Triangle, you may be getting a discounted public parking rate.

But if you’re driving a vehicle that gets less than 15 miles per gallon, expect to pay a 10-cent “gas guzzler” penalty.

“Whatever car you buy is your choice, and they shouldn’t charge you more because you don’t have a hybrid or because you drive a 'gas-guzzler,''' one Boston resident (who owns a Jeep) told the Boston Herald.

The abandoned Mobil station at Bulfinch Triangle will be turned into a parking lot that charges more for vehicles that "guzzle gas" (Photo: Ted Fitzgerald)

Boston's Dinosaur Capital Partners is collaborating with California’s [of course] Streetline Inc. to outfit a parking lot in the Bulfinch Triangle area (near TD Garden) with machines that will charge clients based on the cars they drive.

“People who park hybrids or electric cars at the Green Park & Charge lot...will get a 10 percent discount on the expected $10-an-hour rate,” the Herald reports. “But those who drive sport-utility vehicles or other rides that get fewer than 15 miles per gallon will pay a 10 percent penalty."

How do the folks behind this “green” energy scheme explain themselves?

“We feel strongly that not only is this the right thing to do, but that we’ll attract customers who feel the same way,” Dinosaur Capital’s Scott Oran told the Herald.

“A big SUV has a cost both in terms of the environment and in terms of being a heavier vehicle that causes more wear and tear on our lot,” he said. “We think that should be reflected in our price.”

The company is spending $1.5 million to build the lot, which will include 12 parking spaces outfitted with free electric vehicle charging stations.

And guess who’s picking up the $50,000 tab to keep those charging stations free? That’s right: taxpayers.

“I don’t expect too many SUV owners will be ticked off, because they understand that they’re driving a car that costs more to operate and to park,” Oran said.

Not surprisingly, a few Boston drivers interviewed by the Herald think the 10-cent “gas guzzler” surcharge is, uh, ill-advised.

John Roberts, who drives a GMC Sierra, says the surcharge “is not fair. It’s like they’re trying to make money off of people who are not environmentally conscious.”

Another resident, a Jeep owner, said: “I don’t think it’s going to matter really. People with gas-guzzlers will just park somewhere else.”

(H/T: The Consumerist)