Home E Tool & Asset E City of Portland Bicycle Parking Ordinance

City of Portland Bicycle Parking Ordinance

33.266.200

Purpose

Bicycle parking is required for most use categories to encourage the use of bicycles by providing safe and convenient places to park bicycles. These regulations ensure adequate short and long-term bicycle parking based on the demand generated by the different use categories and on the level of security necessary to encourage the use of bicycles for short and long stays. These regulations will help meet the City’s goal that 10 percent of all trips be made by bicycle. 33.266.210 Required Bicycle Parking

A. Number of spaces required.
1. The required minimum number of bicycle parking spaces for each use category is shown on Table 266-6. No bicycle parking is required for uses not listed.
2. The required minimum number of bicycle parking spaces is based on the primary uses on a site. There are no bicycle parking requirements for accessory uses. However, if the required number of spaces for the primary uses is based on net building area, the net building area of accessory uses is included with the primary uses in the calculation. For example, a
Manufacturing and Production use of 45,000 square feet with 15,000 square feet of accessory Office use would have a bicycle parking requirement of 4 spaces, based on 60,000 square feet of net building area. If the primary use is
not listed in Table 266-6, no bicycle parking is required for the accessory use.
3. When there are two or more separate primary uses on a site, the required bicycle parking for the site is the sum of the required parking for the individual primary uses.

B. Exemptions.
1. No long-term bicycle parking is required on a site where there is less than 2,500 square feet of gross building area.
2. No bicycle parking is required for a Commercial Parking facility on a surface parking lot in the Central City plan district.

33.266.220 Bicycle Parking Standards

A. Short-term bicycle parking.

1. Purpose. Short-term bicycle parking encourages shoppers, customers, messengers, and other visitors to use bicycles by providing a convenient and readily accessible place to park bicycles. Short-term bicycle parking should serve the main entrance of a building and should be visible to pedestrians and bicyclists.
2. Standards. Required short-term bicycle parking must meet the following standards:

Short-term bicycle parking must be provided in lockers or racks that meet the standards of Subsection 33.266.220.C.

b. Location. Short-term bicycle parking must be:

(1) Outside a building;
(2) At the same grade as the sidewalk or at a location that can be reached by an accessible route; and
(3) Within the following distances of the main entrance:

  •  Building with one main entrance. For a building with one main entrance, the bicycle parking must be within 50 feet of the main entrance to the building as measured along the most direct pedestrian access route. See Figure 266-8;
  • Building with more than one main entrance. For a building with more than one main entrance, the bicycle parking must be along all façades with a main entrance, and within 50 feet of at least one main entrance on each façade that has a main entrance, as measured along the most direct pedestrian access route. See Figure 266-9;
  • Sites with more than one primary building. For sites that have more than one primary building, but are not an institutionalcampus, the bicycle parking must be within 50 feet of a main entrance as measured along the most direct pedestrian access route, and must be distributed to serve all primary buildings. See Figure 266-10;
  • Institutional Campus. On an institutional campus with morethan one building or main entrance, the bicycle parking must be either:
    • Within 50 feet of a main entrance as measured along the most direct pedestrian access route; or
    • If the short-term bicycle parking is more than 50 feet from a main entrance, it must be in a common bicycle parking location along a pedestrian access route.

c. Bicycle Parking Fund.

(1) This option may be used only if it is not possible to provide all of the required short-term bicycle parking on site in a way that complies with all of the standards in A.2.b. This option may not be used if:

  • There are surface parking areas, plazas, exterior courtyards, or other open areas on the site, other than required landscaping;
  • Those open areas are large enough, separately or in combination, to accommodate all required short-term bicycle parking; and
  • The open areas meet the locational requirements of A.2.b.

(2) Fund use and administration. The Bicycle Parking Fund is collected and administered by the Office of Transportation. The funds collected will be used to install bicycle parking and associated improvements in the right-of-way.
(3) This option may not be used if any required short-term bicycle parking is provided on site.

Long-term bicycle parking.

1. Purpose. Long-term bicycle parking provides employees, students, residents, commuters and others who generally stay at a site for several hours, a secure and weather-protected place to park bicycles. Although long-term parking does not have to be provided on-site, the intent of these standards is to allow bicycle parking to be within a reasonable distance in order to encourage bicycle use.

2. Standards. Required long-term bicycle parking must meet the following
standards:
a. Long-term bicycle parking must be provided in racks or lockers that meet the standards of Subsection 33.266.220.C;
b. Location. Long-term bicycle parking must be located on the site or in an area where the closest point is within 300 feet of the site;
c. Covered Spaces. At least 50 percent of required long-term bicycle parking must be covered and meet the standards of Paragraph 33.266.220.C.5, Covered Bicycle Parking; and
d. Security. To provide security, long-term bicycle parking must be in at least one of the following locations:
(1) In a locked room;
(2) In an area that is enclosed by a fence with a locked gate. The fence must be either 8 feet high, or be floor-to-ceiling;
(3) Within view of an attendant or security guard;
(4) Within 100 feet of an attendant or security guard;
(5) In an area that is monitored by a security camera; or
(6) In an area that is visible from employee work areas.

C. Standards for all bicycle parking.
1. Purpose. These standards ensure that required bicycle parking is designed so that bicycles may be securely locked without undue inconvenience and will be reasonably safeguarded from intentional or accidental damage.

2. Bicycle lockers. Where required bicycle parking is provided in lockers, the lockers must be securely anchored.

3. Bicycle racks. The Office of Transportation maintains a handbook of racks and citing guidelines that meet the standards of this paragraph. Required bicycle parking may be provided in floor, wall, or ceiling racks. Where required bicycle parking is provided in racks, the racks must meet the following standards:

a.The bicycle frame and one wheel can be locked to the rack with a high security, U-shaped shackle lock if both wheels are left on the bicycle;
b. A space 2 feet by 6 feet must be provided for each required bicycle parking space, so that a bicycle six feet long can be securely held with its frame supported so that the bicycle cannot be pushed or fall in a manner that will damage the wheels or components. See Figure 266-11; and
c. The rack must be securely anchored.

4. Parking and maneuvering areas.
a. Each required bicycle parking space must be accessible without moving another bicycle;
b. There must be an aisle at least 5 feet wide behind all required bicycle parking to allow room for bicycle maneuvering. Where the bicycle parking is adjacent to a sidewalk, the maneuvering area may extend into the right-of-way; and
c. The area devoted to bicycle parking must be hard surfaced.

5. Covered bicycle parking. Covered bicycle parking, as required by this section, can be provided inside buildings, under roof overhangs or awnings, in bicycle lockers, or within or under other structures. Where required covered bicycle parking is not within a building or locker, the cover must be:
a. Permanent;
b. Designed to protect the bicycle from rainfall; and
c. At least 7 feet above the floor or ground.

6. Signs.
a. Light rail stations and transit centers. If required bicycle parking is not visible from the light rail station or transit center, a sign must be posted at the station or center indicating the location of the parking.
b. Other uses. For uses other than light rail stations and transit centers, if required bicycle parking is not visible from the street or main building entrance, a sign must be posted at the main building entrance indicating the location of the parking.

7. Use of required parking spaces.
a. Required short-term bicycle parking spaces must be available for shoppers, customers, messengers, and other visitors to the site.
b. Required long-term bicycle parking spaces must be available for employees, students, residents, commuters, and others who stay at the site for several hours.

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