Zoning & Building Codes

The following best practice recommendations are for establishing bike parking requirements within zoning and building codes for developers to comply with.

These recommendations are based on a review of bike parking requirements in Seattle, Wash.; Los Angeles, Cal.; Oakland, Cal.; Portland, Ore.; Vancouver, B.C.; Victoria, B.C.; San Francisco, Cal.; Pittsburgh, Penn.; and Cambridge, Mass, and the APBP bike parking guide.  A complete comparison of these cities’ requirements and the guidelines’ requirements is available in a google spreadsheet here.

  • Key:
    • LT = long-term bike parking space
    • ST = short-term bike parking space
      (one staple rack or inverted U rack provides two short-term spaces)
    • sf = square-feet
Land Use BSA Guide – 5% Mode Share Goal in 10 years BSA Guide – 10% Mode Share Goal in 10 years BSA Guide – 20% Mode Share Goal in 15 years APBP Guide – Urban – For 5% Mode Share
Residential
Single-Family Dwellings
 0 LT 1 LT 2 LT No LT req.
No ST req. No ST req. No ST req. No ST req.
Multi-Unit Residential
 1.0 LT / unit 1.25 LT / unit 1.5 LT / unit 0.50 LT / bedroom
0.20 ST / unit 0.25 ST / unit 0.30 ST / unit 2 ST or 0.10 ST / bedroom
Live-Work Units
 1 LT / unit 1.5 LT / unit 2 LT / unit  
0.50 ST / unit 0.75 ST / unit 1.0 ST / unit  
Congregate, Group, Lodging Houses, Dormitories, Fraternities, Sororities, and Elderly Housing
 0.50 LT / bed 0.75 LT / bed 1.0 LT / bed 0.50 LT / bedroom
0.20 ST / bed 0.25 ST / bed 0.30 ST / bed 2 ST or 0.10 ST / bedroom
Hotels, Motels, Tourist houses
 0.05 LT / rentable room 0.075 LT / rentable room 0.10 LT / rentable room  
0.05 ST / rentable room , PLUS 0.20 ST / 1,000 sf for conference/meeting rooms 0.10 ST / rentable room , PLUS 0.35 ST / 1,000 sf for conference/meeting rooms 0.20 ST / rentable room , PLUS 0.50 ST / 1,000 sf for conference/meeting rooms  
Office, Retail, & Restaurants
General or professional offices
 0.50 LT / 1,000 sq.ft 1.0 LT / 1,000 sq.ft 2.0 LT / 1,000 sq.ft 2 LT or 0.15 LT / 1,000 sf
0.10 ST / 1,000 sf 0.25 ST / 1,000 sf 0.50 ST / 1,000 sf 2 ST or 0.05 ST / 1,000 sf
Arts/crafts studios
 0.25 LT / 1,000 sq.ft 0.50 LT / 1,000 sq.ft 1.0 LT / 1,000 sq.ft  
0.10 ST / 1,000 sf 0.25 ST / 1,000 sf 0.50 ST / 1,000 sf  
Technical offices, research labs
 0.25 LT / 1,000 sq.ft 0.50 LT / 1,000 sq.ft 1.0 LT / 1,000 sq.ft 2 LT or 0.15 LT / 1,000 sf
0.10 ST / 1,000 sf 0.25 ST / 1,000 sf 0.50 ST / 1,000 sf 2 ST or 0.05 ST / 1,000 sf
Banks, financial offices (ground floor)
 0.25 LT / 1,000 sq.ft 0.50 LT / 1,000 sq.ft 1.0 LT / 1,000 sq.ft 2 LT or 0.15 LT / 1,000 sf
0.10 ST / 1,000 sf 0.25 ST / 1,000 sf 0.50 ST / 1,000 sf 2 ST or 0.05 ST / 1,000 sf
Sales & services, heavy
 0.25 LT / 1,000 sf 0.50 LT / 1,000 sf 0.75 LT / 1,000 sf  
0.10 ST / 1,000 sf 0.25 ST / 1,000 sf 0.50 ST / 1,000 sf  
Retail stores, consumer service
 0.25 LT / 1,000 sf 0.50 LT / 1,000 sf 1.0 LT / 1,000 sf 2 LT or 0.10 LT / 1,000 sf
0.25 ST / 1,000 sf 0.50 ST / 1,000 sf 1.0 ST / 1,000 sf 2 LT or 0.20 ST / 1,000 sf
Food & convenience stores
 0.25 LT / 1,000 sf 0.50 LT / 1,000 sf 1.0 LT / 1,000 sf 2 LT or 0.10 LT / 1,000 sf
0.50 ST / 1,000 sf 1.0 ST / 1,000 sf 2.0 ST / 1,000 sf 2 ST or 0.50 ST / 1,000 sf
Restaurants, bars
 0.25 LT / 1,000 sf 0.50 LT / 1,000 sf 1.5 LT / 1,000 sf 2 LT or 0.10 LT / 1,000 sf
0.50 ST / 1,000 sf 1.0 ST / 1,000 sf 2.0 ST / 1,000 sf 2 ST or 0.50 ST / 1,000 sf
Industrial
Manufacturing & Production
 0.25 LT / 1,000 sf 0.5 LT / 1,000 sf 1.0 LT / 1,000 sf 2 LT or 0.083 LT / 1,000 sf
0.10 ST / 1,000 sf 0.25 ST / 1,000 sf 0.50 ST / 1,000 sf 2 ST at each entrance; or as prescribed by agency director
Warehouse & Freight Movement
 0.25 LT / 1,000 sf 0.50 LT / 1,000 sf 0.75 LT / 1,000 sf  
0.05 ST / 1,000 sf 0.10 ST / 1,000 sf 0.20 ST / 1,000 sf  
Auto repair, auto sales
 0.25 LT / 1,000 sf 0.50 LT / 1,000 sf 0.75 LT / 1,000 sf 2 LT or 0.10 LT / 1,000 sf
0.10 ST / 1,000 sf 0.20 ST / 1,000 sf 0.40 ST / 1,000 sf 2 LT or 0.05 ST / 1,000 sf
Events, Gathering, & Recreation
Entertainment / Major Event Entertainment
 0.075 LT / employee for stadiums/areas with capacity > 2,000 attendees. 0.15 LT / employee for stadiums/areas with capacity > 2,000 attendees. 0.30 LT / employee for stadiums/areas with capacity > 2,000 attendees. 2 LT or 0.075 LT / employee
0.05 ST / attendee for stadiums/arenas with capacity > 2,000 attendees, 50% of which must have valet (an attendant watching over). 0.10 ST / attendee for stadiums/arenas with capacity > 2,000 attendees, 75% of which must have valet (an attendant watching over). 0.20 ST / attendee for stadiums/arenas with capacity > 2,000 attendees, 75% of which must have valet (an attendant watching over). 0.05 / attendee
Theaters & Gathering Halls
 0.075 LT / employee 0.15 LT / employee 0.30 LT / employee 2 LT or 0.075 LT / employee
0.05 ST / seat + 5.0 ST / 1,000 non-seat sf 0.10 ST / seat + 10.0 ST / 1,000 non-seat sf 0.20 ST / seat + 20.0 ST / 1,000 non-seat sf 5% of max daily attendance
Parks & Commercial Outdoor Recreation
 0.10 LT / employee 0.25 LT / employee 0.50 LT / employee 2 LT or 0.075 LT / employee
5% of max expected attendance; or 0.50 ST / car (including adjacent on-street car parking), whichever is greatest. 10% of max expected attendance; or 1.0 ST / car (including adjacent on-street car parking), whichever is greatest.
At least 50% of the bike parking must be covered unless the park is smaller than 2 acres.		 20% of max expected attendance; or 2.0 ST / car (including adjacent on-street car parking), whichever is greatest.
100% of the bike parking must be covered unless the park is smaller than 2 acres.		 5% of max daily attendance
Fitness Centers & Indoor Sports Centers
 0.10 LT / 1,000 sf 0.25 LT / 1,000 sf 0.50 LT / 1,000 sf  
0.75 ST / 1,000 sf 1.5 ST / 1,000 sf 3.0 ST / 1,000 sf  
Bowling Alleys, Billiard Hall, Arcade, Curling
 0.50 LT / 1,000 sf 0.75 LT / 1,000 sf 1.5 LT / 1,000 sf  
0.75 ST / 1,000 sf 1.5 ST / 1,000 sf 3.0 ST / 1,000 sf  
Civic & Cultural
Civic Buildings, Libraries, Museums, & Community Service 0.05 LT / employee 0.15 LT / employee 0.25 LT / employee 2 LT or 0.15 LT / employee
  0.25 ST / 1,000 sf 0.50 ST / 1,000 sf 1.0 ST / 1,000 sf 2 ST or 0.125 ST / 1,000 sf
Places of Worship & Community Clubs/Centers 0.25 LT / 1,000 sf 0.50 LT / 1,000 sf 1.0 LT / 1,000 sf 2 LT or 0.075 LT / employee
  0.25 ST / 1,000 sf 0.50 ST / 1,000 sf 1.0 ST / 1,000 sf 5% of max daily attendance
Medical
Medical Clinics & Offices
 0.10 LT / 1,000 sf 0.25 LT / 1,000 sf 0.50 LT / 1,000 sf 2 ST; 0.075 LT / employee; or 0.02 LT / 1,000 sf
0.25 ST / 1,000 sf 0.50 ST / 1,000 sf 1.0 ST / 1,000 sf 2 ST or 0.125 ST / 1,000 sf
Hospitals
 0.25 LT / 1,000 sf 0.50 LT / 1,000 SF 1.0 LT / 1,000 SF 2 ST; 0.075 LT / employee; or 0.02 LT / 1,000 sf
4 ST at every entrance; 0.05 ST / 1,000 sf 6 ST at every entrance; 0.10 ST / 1,000 sf 8 ST at every entrance; 0.20 ST / 1,000 sf 2 ST or 0.05 ST / 1,000 sf
Education
University, College, Technical Colleges
 0.15 LT / employee & max planned student capacity. If building new building on campus without adding employees/students, then 0.05 LT / 1,000 sf. 0.25 LT / employee & max planned student capacity. If building new building on campus without adding employees/students, then 0.10 LT / 1,000 sf. 0.35 LT / employee & max planned student capacity. If building new building on campus without adding employees/students, then 0.20 LT / 1,000 sf. 0.15 LT / student; or 0.05 LT / 1,000 sf, whichever is greater
0.10 ST / max planned student capacity. If building new building on campus without adding employees/students, then 0.25 ST / 1,000 sf. 0.20 ST / max planned student capacity. If building new building on campus without adding employees/students, then 0.50 ST / 1,000 sf. 0.30 ST / max planned student capacity. If building new building on campus without adding employees/students, then 1.0 ST / 1,000 sf. 2 ST or 0.10 ST / student
K-12 Schools
 2.5 LT / classroom 5 LT / classroom 10 LT / classroom 2 LT or 0.15 LT / employee + 0.075 LT / student
0.075 ST / student 0.15 ST / student 0.30 ST / student 2 ST or 0.075 ST / student
Daycare
 0.075 LT / employee 0.15 LT / employee 0.30 LT / employee 2 LT or 0.075 LT / employee
0.05 ST / child 0.10 ST / child 0.20 ST / child 2 ST or 0.075 ST / child
Transportation
Light Rail Stations, Transit Centers, Park & Ride lots, & Ferry Terminals
 7% of AM Peak ridership. Light rail stations within a mile of each other in dense urban environments may combine their long-term parking requirement at a single station. 10% of AM Peak ridership. Light rail stations within a mile of each other in dense urban environments may combine their long-term parking requirement at a single station. 15% of AM Peak ridership. Light rail stations within a mile of each other in dense urban environments may combine their long-term parking requirement at a single station. 7% of projected AM peak period daily ridership.
6 ST or 2% of AM peak daily ridership. 8 ST or 3.5% of AM peak daily ridership. 10 ST or 5% of AM peak daily ridership. 2% of AM peak period daily ridership.
Commercial Parking & Parking Structures
 0.05 LT / car parking spot. Unlike the other long-term parking requirements for other land uses, commercial parking structures may charge for secured long-term parking. 0.10 LT / car parking spot. Unlike the other long-term parking requirements for other land uses, commercial parking structures may charge for secured long-term parking. 0.20 LT / car parking spot. Unlike the other long-term parking requirements for other land uses, commercial parking structures may charge for secured long-term parking. 2 ST or 0.05 LT / car; surface-only lots excepted
0.05 ST / car parking spot 0.05 ST / car parking spot 0.10 ST / car parking spot 6 ST or 0.10 ST / car; surface-only lots excepted
Other Code Requirements
Long-Term Rack Design Standards Require 60% of long-term bike parking to be on the floor (horizontal), and allow up to 40% of the bike parking to be met with racks on the wall (vertical).  
Location Standards for Long-Term Bike Parking Encourage long-term parking to be adjacent to the main pedestrian entrance into a building at surface level. If in a garage, require the long-term parking to be within 50′ of a garage entrance, well-lit & ventilated, in a secure space require a keyed entry, monitored either by camera or by a security guard who can see the door entrance into the secure cage/room. Signage to the long-term parking should be clear, and, if the parking is in a garage, a painted green bike lane from the garage entrance to the room/cage is encouraged.  
Location Standards for Short-Term Bike Parking Short-term parking should be within 25′ from the entrance of the business, and no more than 75′ from the entrance.  
Reduced Car Parking Requirements If car parking is required, bike parking that’s in excess of the required amounts may count against vehicular parking at a ratio of 2 bike spaces : 1 car. The amount of auto parking that can be removed should not be capped.  
FAR Exemptions Bike parking, showers, and other bike facilities should be exempt from the floor-area ratio limitations of a development.  
Charging for Bike Parking Property managers shall not charge employees, residents, customers, or others for short- or long-term bike parking that’s required to meet these requirements. A property manager may charge for bike parking that’s in excess of these requirements, and this additional bike parking may still be counted toward reducing its car parking requirements, if applicable.  
Shower Facilities In office buildings, 2 showers shall be required per gender for the first 150,000 sf, plus one per gender for each additional 150,000 sf. For each shower, 4 lockers shall be provided.  

Calculating the Requirements

In calculating the bike parking requirements for any facility, any resulting fraction shall be rounded up (not down) to the next whole number. For example, if the calculation would result in a requirement of 3.05 bike spaces, the facility/developer would need to install bike racks for 4 bicycles.

For short-term bike parking, if the calculation results in a requirement for 2.05 bike spaces, an additional standard bike rack would need to be provided for the 0.05, resulting in a need to install two racks, providing space for 4 bicycles.

Zoning Incentives

Where car parking is required by zoning in new development projects, allow bike parking to substitute for a car stall. For every car stall removed, the developer or property owner should be required to install two bike parking spaces — either (A) two long-term spaces or (B) one long-term space and one short-term parking space. The amount of auto parking that can be removed should not be capped.

Both Seattle and Portland have similar zoning incentives. In Seattle, a developer can remove one car stall with four bike parking spaces (two racks), up to 5% of the otherwise required car stalls. In Portland, a developer can remove one car stall with five bike parking spaces, up to 25% of the otherwise required stalls. Neither program states whether the bike parking must be long-term or short-term parking.

In order to encourage the use of the incentive, the cost of installing bike racks should be kept at a minimum to developers. In order to be a true incentive, the program must reduce the cost to the developer to build the parking garage or other development. Because four-to-five bike racks fit within a standard car stall, an incentive program that requires a ratio of 4:1 does not change the construction costs for the developer in building the auto-oriented parking garage. Meanwhile, a 2:1 ratio would provide a meaningful cost-reduction for the developer.

Many areas in Seattle do not have minimum car parking requirements (including Downtown, Urban Centers, and Station Area Overlay Districts), so the efficacy of Seattle’s incentive is unclear. The incentive may be more advantageous in suburban communities that continue to have car parking minimums in their zoning codes.

FAR Exemptions

Bike parking, showers, and other bike facilities should be exempt from the from the floor-area ratio restrictions on a development.

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