Bike Parking Regulations for San Francisco, CA
In San Francisco, CA, bike parking regulations are clearly defined in Sections 155.1 through 155.4 of the San Francisco Planning Code. Here’s an overview of these regulations, including long-term and short-term bike parking requirements, design standards, and additional facilities like showers and lockers.
Long-Term and Short-Term Bike Parking Requirements
Class 1 Spaces (Long-Term): These spaces are located in secure, weather-protected facilities intended for use as long-term, overnight, or workday bicycle storage. Suitable for dwelling unit residents, non-residential occupants, and employees. Class 1 bike parking can include secure lockers or attended facilities. The dimensions for lockers must allow for a space 2 feet wide by 6 feet long, with 6 feet of aisle space in front of the locker.
Class 2 Spaces (Short-Term): These spaces are located in publicly accessible and highly visible locations intended for transient use by visitors, guests, or patrons. Class 2 bike racks are typically U-shaped or circular and must support bikes at two points of contact to prevent falling. They should also be able to secure both the bike frame and one wheel using a U-lock.
Design Standards for Both Classes of Parking
- Clearance: All bike racks must provide adequate clearance for ease of parking. Vertical bicycle racks must allow at least one wheel to remain on the ground, and lifting should not exceed 12 inches.
- Visibility: Short-term bike parking should be highly visible from streets or entrances to prevent theft and increase convenience.
- Secure Installation: All racks must be securely anchored to the ground or building structure with tamper-resistant hardware.
- Stacking. Stacked Parking spaces may be used to satisfy any Class 1 required space. However, Class 1 spaces shall not require manually lifting the entire bicycle more than three inches to be placed in the space, except as provided in subsection regarding Vertical Bicycle Parking.
- Vertical Bicycle Parking. Vertical Bicycle Parking shall enable the bicycle to be locked to a rack or other object permanently affixed to a wall. Vertical Bicycle Parking may satisfy required bicycle parking pursuant to Section 155.2 and 155.3 where:
- Such parking is primarily an Attended Facility where facility staff parks the bicycles or such racks provide mechanical assistance for lifting the bicycle; or
- No more than one-third of the required Class 1 bicycle parking is provided as Vertical Bicycle Parking; or
- Class 2 spaces for Personal Services, Restaurants, Limited Restaurants, and Bars are provided either indoors or outdoors. In such cases, no more than one-third of all required Class 2 bicycle parking shall be provided as Vertical Bicycle Parking.
Showers and Personal Lockers
Shower and Locker Facilities are required based on the size of the building:
- For 10,000-20,000 square feet of occupied floor area, 1 shower and 6 lockers are required.
- For 20,000-50,000 square feet, 2 showers and 12 lockers are required.
- For buildings over 50,000 square feet, 4 showers and 24 lockers are required.
Table of Required Bicycle Parking Spaces by Facility Type
| Facility Type | Class 1 Long-Term Spaces | Class 2 Short-Term Spaces |
|---|---|---|
| Dwelling Units with more than 3 Units per Lot | One Class 1 space for every Dwelling Unit. For buildings containing more than 100 Dwelling Units, 100 Class 1 spaces plus one Class 1 space for every four Dwelling Units over 100. Dwelling Units that are also considered Student Housing shall provide 50 percent more spaces than would otherwise be required. | One per 20 units. Dwelling Units that are also considered Student Housing shall provide 50 percent more spaces than would otherwise be required. |
| Office | One Class 1 space for every 5,000 square feet of Occupied Floor Area. | Minimum two spaces for any Office Use greater than 5,000 square feet of Occupied Floor Area, and one Class 2 space for each additional 50,000 occupied square feet. |
| Retail | One Class 1 space for every 7,500 square feet of Occupied Floor Area. | Minimum two spaces. One Class 2 space for every 2,500 sq. ft. of Occupied Floor Area. For uses larger than 50,000 occupied square feet, 10 Class 2 spaces plus one Class 2 space for every additional 10,000 occupied square feet. |
| Eating & Drinking | One Class 1 space for every 7,500 square feet of Occupied Floor Area. | Minimum two spaces. One Class 2 space for every 750 square feet of Occupied Floor Area |
| K-12 Schools | Four Class 1 spaces for every classroom. | One Class 2 space for every classroom. |
| Colleges | One Class 1 space for every 20,000 square feet of Occupied Floor Area. | Minimum two spaces. One Class 2 space for every 10,000 square feet of Occupied Floor Area. |
| Manufacturing | One Class 1 space for every 12,000 square feet of Occupied Floor Area, except not less than two Class 1 spaces for any use larger than 5,000 occupied square feet. | Minimum of two spaces. Four Class 2 spaces for any use larger than 50,000 occupied square feet. |
The above information represents a partial list of the facility types and their bike parking requirements for San Francisco, CA. Please refer to the links below for more detailed information.
Special Area Requirements
Some areas may have modified requirements that include additional parking facilities. Stadiums, arenas, and large venues (over 2,000 people) must provide attended bike parking for at least 75% of their Class 2 spaces.
Official Sources
You can find the official bike parking regulations for San Francisco, CA at: San Francisco Planning Code – Bicycle Parking Requirements.
Bike Parking Regulations – Chapter 155
Zoning Administrator Bulletin 9 – Bicycle Parking Requirements: Design and Layout
