Plans For Expanded Free Parking Delayed

SAN JOSE, Calif. Oct.17, 2007 (KGO) (KGO) -- A proposal in San Jose to reduce carbon emissions hit a political snag today. The effort to go greener stalled because the idea is coming from an elected city leader who could technically benefit from the plan.

John Eells is in the market for a hybrid. If he buys it at a San Jose dealership, John can get a window sticker for $30 dollars and park for free at any city garage or street meter.

"My wife would benefit greatly. We would all benefit from the savings from parking alone, let alone the gas," says Eells, who is potential hybrid buyer.

About 1,600 people have signed up for the parking benefit as part of San Jose's clean air vehicle program. Only about ten percent of those cars are the cleanest of clean: zero emissions or all electric.

The program costs the city about $7700 dollars a month in lost parking revenue. City leaders say it's a small price to pay to promote clean and green driving.

Now, city council member Pete Constant wants to expand the program to allow any city registered zero emissions vehicle to qualify for free parking, even if it wasn't sold in San Jose.

"Given the state of where we are all the efforts and energy that the city is putting forward to become a greener city, it's a logical extension of the program."

But Constant's proposal was taken off today's city council agenda.

The reason? Constant owns a zero emissions vehicle and the city attorney waved a red flag.

"There's no determination that there's a conflict but just the appearance, I think, he decided to just kick this until we get this resolved," says Constant.

The councilmember's gem is up for sale and the proposal will be resurrected in two weeks. At that time, the mayor says he will support the free parking expansion as part of his aggressive green vision. He believes that "San Jose will be known as one of the top green cities in the nation."

San Jose's parking perks may be the last of a dying breed. Gone are the federal rebates for buying a hybrid and the state has now run out of those carpool stickers for hybrid drivers.

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