Bike Parking Regulations and Design Standards for Los Angeles, CA
The City of Los Angeles has developed a comprehensive set of bicycle parking regulations to promote sustainable transportation and reduce reliance on cars. The city’s regulations, codified under Los Angeles Municipal Code (LAMC) Section 12.21.A.16, establish different requirements for short-term and long-term bike parking across various land uses, including residential, commercial, institutional, and industrial developments. The city aims to ensure the convenience and security of bike parking through clear design and location standards, with provisions for replacing automobile parking with bicycle parking in certain circumstances.
Long-Term and Short-Term Bicycle Parking Requirements
The regulations in Los Angeles clearly differentiate between short-term and long-term bicycle parking, addressing both the quantity and type of parking needed based on building use.
Long-Term Bicycle Parking Requirements
- Purpose: Intended for residents, employees, and others who need to store bicycles securely for extended periods. Long-term parking typically consists of secure, covered facilities like bike rooms, lockers, or cages.
- One long-term bicycle parking space per multi-family dwelling unit or guest room for residential buildings containing more than three units.
- For institutional facilities, one long-term space is required per 5,000 square feet of floor area, with a minimum of two spaces.
- Commercial and Industrial: One long-term space per 5,000 square feet for offices and one per 10,000 square feet for warehouses.
Short-Term Bicycle Parking Requirements
- Purpose: Primarily for visitors and patrons who need quick, easy access to bicycle parking. Short-term parking is generally provided via bicycle racks placed near the building’s entrances.
- General Requirements: Short-term spaces must be placed within 50 feet of the building’s main entrance, in a visible and accessible location.
- Residential: One short-term space per 10 dwelling units in multi-family buildings, with a minimum of two spaces.
- Commercial and Industrial: One short-term space per 2,000 square feet for health clubs and retail spaces, and one per 10,000 square feet for offices.
Design Standards for Bicycle Parking
The design standards ensure that bicycle parking is safe, secure, and easy to use.
Stacked Storage: Long-term or short-term bicycle parking may be mounted so that bicycles are stored in a stacked, two-tier layout, provided such parking is primarily an attended bicycle facility where facility staff parks the bicycles, or such racks provide mechanical assistance for lifting the bicycle.
Horizontal Storage: Where bicycles are stored horizontally, devices that hold the bicycle upright by wheel contact shall hold at least 180 degrees of wheel arc.
Long-Term Bicycle Parking Design Standards
- Types: Acceptable examples of long-term bicycle parking include bicycle lockers, bicycle rooms, bicycle cages, or commercially operated attended bicycle facilities.
- Security: Long-term parking spaces must be protected from theft and the elements, typically enclosed in bike lockers, rooms, or cages.
- Dimensions: Each space must be at least 6 feet (72 inches) in length and 2 feet (24 inches) wide.
- Vertical Storage: Long-term bicycle parking may be mounted so that the bicycle is stored vertically. Such devices that hold the bicycle by the wheel shall be designed to support the bicycle without damaging the wheels. Vertically installed bicycle parking shall be a minimum of 4 feet (48 inches) deep and 6 feet (72 inches) in height.
- Access: Long-term parking must be located in well-lit areas and must be easily accessible from building entrances.
- Triangular lockers with varying widths may be used so long as the opening is at least 2 feet (24 inches) wide.
- If more than 20 long- term bicycle parking spaces are provided, a workspace of 100 square feet shall be provided adjacent to the long-term bicycle parking to allow bicyclists to maintain their bicycles. However, where long-term bicycle parking is provided in more than one location, a single workspace may be provided adjacent to the location with the greatest number of long-term bicycle parking spaces.
Short-Term Bicycle Parking Design Standards
- Rack Design: Racks must allow the bicycle frame and at least one wheel to be locked. Inverted U-shaped racks are recommended for stability.
- Locks: The bicycle rack shall allow for the use of a cable as well as a U- shaped lock.
- Spacing: Each short-term space must be at least 30 inches wide, with 5 feet of clearance between the racks for maneuverability. Bicycle parking spaces arranged in a vertically staggered layout that permits bicycles to be placed in and removed from each individual space without interference from bicycles in adjoining spaces may be spaced a minimum of 16 inches on center.
- Location: Short-term parking should be highly visible, no more than 50 feet from the main building entrance.
- Weather Protection: If more than 20 short-term bicycle parking spaces are provided, at least 50 percent shall be covered
Required Bicycle Parking Spaces by Facility Type
Residential – Required Bicycle Parking Spaces
For all residential buildings other than hotels and motels containing more than three dwelling units, long- and short-term bicycle parking shall be provided according to the ratios specified for each marginal increment of dwelling units. A minimum of two short-term bicycle parking spaces shall be provided in all cases.
All hotels, motels, and apartment hotels containing more than five guest rooms shall provide both short- and long- term bicycle parking, respectively, at a rate of one per ten guest rooms. A minimum of two short-term and two long-term bicycle parking spaces shall be provided. For buildings with dwelling units and guest rooms, the total amount of bicycle parking for a building containing both dwelling units and guest rooms shall be calculated by adding the number of required bicycle parking spaces for dwelling units to the number of required bicycle parking spaces for guest rooms. Any combination that results in more than five combined dwelling units and guest rooms will require bicycle parking.
| Residential Dwelling Units | Short-Term Parking Requirement | Long-Term Parking Requirement |
|---|---|---|
| 1-25 | 1 space per 10 units, minimum of 2 spaces | 1 space per unit |
| 26-100 | 1 space per 15 units, minimum of 2 spaces | 1 space per 1.5 units |
| 101-200 | 1 space per 20 units | 1 space per 2 units |
| 201+ | 1 space per 40 units | 1 space per 4 units |
Non-Residential – Required Bicycle Parking Spaces
For all commercial, institutional, and industrial uses that require automobile parking under Subsections 12.21 A.4(c), (d), (e) and (f), short- and long- term bicycle parking shall be provided as per the table below. For uses listed in the table below a minimum of two short-term and two long-term bicycle parking spaces shall be provided. After the first 100 bicycle parking spaces are provided for uses listed below, additional spaces may be provided at the minimum number required by the California Green Building Standards Code Section 5.106.4.
| Land Use | Short-Term Parking Requirement | Long-Term Parking Requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Office | 1 per 10,000 sq. ft. (minimum 2) | 1 per 5,000 sq. ft. (minimum 2) |
| Warehouse | 1 per 10,000 sq. ft. (minimum 2) | 1 per 10,000 sq. ft. (minimum 2) |
| Health Clubs | 1 per 2,000 sq. ft. (minimum 2) | 1 per 2,000 sq. ft. (minimum 2) |
| Restaurants and Bars, General | 1 per 2,000 sq. ft. (minimum 2) | 1 per 2,000 sq. ft. (minimum 2) |
| Restaurant, Small (floor area less than 1,000 sq. ft.) | 2 per restaurant | 2 per restaurant |
| Retail Stores, General | 1 per 2,000 sq. ft. (minimum 2) | 1 per 2,000 sq. ft. (minimum 2) |
| Retail, Furniture Stores | 1 per 10,000 sq. ft. (minimum 2) | 1 per 10,000 sq. ft. (minimum 2) |
| Trade Schools, Private Universities, and Private Colleges | 1 per 500 square feet or 1 per 50 fixed seats whichever is greater (minimum 2) | 1 per 1000 square feet or 1 per 100 fixed seats whichever is greater (minimum 2) |
| Private Elementary Schools, Private High Schools, and Charter Schools | 4 per classroom (minimum 2) | 1 per 10 classrooms (minimum 2) |
| All other Commercial Uses | 1 per 10,000 sq. ft. (minimum 2) | 1 per 10,000 sq. ft. (minimum 2) |
| All Institutional Uses | 1 per 10,000 sq. ft. (minimum 2) | 1 per 5,000 sq. ft. (minimum 2) |
| All Industrial Uses | 1 per 10,000 sq. ft. (minimum 2) | 1 per 10,000 sq. ft. (minimum 2) |
The above information represents a partial list of the facility types and their bike parking requirements in Los Angeles, CA. Please refer to the links below for more detailed information.
Showers and Personal Lockers
For non-residential developments greater than 50,000 square feet, Los Angeles requires the provision of showers and personal lockers. The ordinance mandates:
- Showers: One shower per 100 long-term bicycle parking spaces.
- Lockers: One locker per long-term parking space, with a minimum of two lockers per facility.
Additional Regional or Neighborhood-Specific Requirements
In transit-oriented areas, such as neighborhoods near major transit hubs, developers may have the option to replace up to 15% of required automobile parking spaces with bicycle parking. In some cases, where a residential building has received a density bonus, up to 30% of required automobile parking may be replaced with bike parking spaces. Specific plans, such as for Chinatown and Koreatown, may have further localized adjustments to parking regulations.
Official Bike Parking Regulations Source
The full details of Los Angeles’ bicycle parking regulations can be found in the Los Angeles Municipal Code (LAMC) Section 12.21.A.16 – Bicycle Parking Requirements.
