Austin, TX, Bike Parking Regulations and Standards

The City of Austin, Texas, provides comprehensive bike parking regulations and design standards to support cycling as a sustainable mode of transportation. These regulations ensure that both short-term and long-term bicycle parking options are accessible, secure, and conveniently located to promote the use of bicycles for commuting and recreation.

The location of an off-street bicycle parking facility shall comply with the following requirements (Land Development Code Section 25-6-477E):

A minimum of 50 percent of all required bicycle parking shall be located within 50 feet of the principal building entrance which shall not be obscured from public view; and
The remaining required bicycle parking may be located as follows:
1. in a secure location within 50 feet of other building entryways other than the principal building entrance;
2. at employee only entrances;
3. within a building; or
4. in a covered motor vehicle parking facility within 50 feet of a street level entrance.
The closest bicycle parking facility must be no farther than the closest motor vehicle parking space, excluding accessible parking spaces.

Long-Term and Short-Term Bike Parking Requirements

Long-Term Bicycle Parking

Long-term parking serves residents, employees, students, and others who need to leave their bicycles for more than four hours.
Must be located in secure, weather-protected locations such as bike cages, storage rooms, or lockers.
At least 50% of the long-term parking must be on the ground level, either in standard U-racks or stacked parking with lift assist for upper levels.
Must be located within 250 feet of a building entrance or in a covered parking facility, with accessibility comparable to that of the closest motor vehicle parking spaces.

Short-Term Bicycle Parking

Short-term parking is intended for visitors and customers who need to park their bikes for fewer than four hours.
Must be located within 50 feet of a building entrance and should be visible and accessible to encourage usage.
Public accessibility is required, and parking spaces should not compromise pedestrian mobility or safety.
Where possible, short-term parking should be sheltered from extreme weather by overhangs or natural canopies.

Design Standards for Long-Term Bicycle Parking

Must be in well-lit, secure locations that are easy to access without lifting or moving the bicycle unnecessarily.
Doors to storage areas must be automatic or easy to operate without the need to hold open.
All long-term parking areas should provide charging outlets for electric bikes.
A minimum of 5% of parking spaces should be designed for larger bicycles, such as cargo bikes or bikes with trailers, with spaces up to 3 feet by 10 feet in size.

Design Standards for Short-Term Bicycle Parking

Standard U-racks must allow bicycles to be locked at two points, including the frame and at least one wheel.
Parking must allow for easy access from the street or sidewalk, without obstructing pedestrian or vehicle traffic.
Racks must be durable, securely anchored, and must not impede accessibility for persons with disabilities.
The parking area should accommodate bikes of various sizes, including electric bikes, with at least 2 feet of width and 6 feet of length per bike.

Required Bicycle Parking Spaces

The City of Austin sets forth the required number of bicycle parking spaces in Title 25 of the Land Development Code, while the required allocation of short-term and long-term bike parking spaced is set forth in Section 9.8 of the Transportation Criteria Manual.

Required Number of Bicycle Parking Spaces (Land Development Code)

For Commercial Uses as described in Section 25-2-4 (Commercial Uses Described), a minimum of two bicycle parking spaces or 10 percent of the proposed motor vehicle parking spaces, whichever is greater.
For Multifamily Residential Use as described in Section 25-2-3(7), a minimum of five bicycle parking spaces or 10 percent of the proposed motor vehicle parking spaces, whichever is greater.
For uses as described in Section 25-2-5 (Industrial uses Described), Section 25-2-6 (Civic Uses Described), and Section 25-2-7 (Agricultural Uses Described), a minimum of one bicycle parking space or 10 percent of the proposed motor vehicle parking spaces, whichever is greater.

Allocation of Short-Term and Long-Term Bike Parking (Transportation Criteria Manual)

Land Use Type	Short-Term Bicycle Parking	Long-Term Bicycle Parking
Residential (Multi-family)	30%–50% of total spaces	50%–70% of total spaces
Commercial	70%–100% of total spaces	0%–30% of total spaces
Office/Business	10%–30% of total spaces	70%–90% of total spaces
Civic (e.g., museums, government)	70%–100% of total spaces	0%–30% of total spaces
College/University	60%–80% of total spaces	20%–40% of total spaces
Public Schools (Primary/Secondary)	70%–90% of total spaces	10%–30% of total spaces

The above information represents a partial list of the facility types and their bike parking requirements for Austin, TX. Please refer to the links below for more detailed information.

Showers and Personal Locker Requirements

Buildings subject to Austin’s site development standards may choose to provide showers and changing facilities as part of a strategy to enhance connectivity. A site or development subject to Subsection 2.3.1.B.2. of Article 2 (Site Development Standards) of Subchapter E of City Code Chapter 25-2 that chooses to provide shower and changing facilities as an option under Table B (Additional Measures to Improve Connectivity) shall provide facilities as follows:

For buildings with less than 100,000 square feet of gross floor area, a minimum of two single-user shower-and-changing facilities is required.
For buildings with 100,000 square feet or more, four single-user shower-and-changing facilities are required.

Neighborhood-Specific Requirements

While Austin’s bike parking regulations apply citywide, some flexibility may be granted in special cases. For example, developers can apply to pay into the Bicycle Parking Fund instead of installing on-site parking if certain conditions make installation impractical (e.g., insufficient space, removal of protected trees).