All owners, lessees, managers or other persons who control a commercial property are required to provide secure bicycle parking, or allow tenants to bring their bicycles into their leased space. 

Please follow the directions below to be in compliance with the law:

Full Bicycle Access, No Tenant Restrictions: 

If you allow tenants to use any area in the building to transport and store their bicycle including elevators, stairwells, office spaces and other areas, you are in compliance with the Ordinance. No further action is necessary.

Prescribed Bicycle Access, Some Tenant Restrictions:

If you allow tenants to bring their bicycles into the building, but would like to prescribe specific details and limitations on bicycle access, you will need to complete a Bicycle Access Plan.  Your submitted Bicycle Access Plan, will be kept on file at the San Francisco Department of the Environment.  After you make the submitted form available to all tenants of the building, no further action is necessary. 

Exception:

You may apply for an exception only if your building’s elevator is not available for bicycle access due to substantial safety risks, OR alternate covered off-street or alternate indoor no-cost bicycle parking is available for your tenants to use. Please see Exception section below for more information.

Bike Access Plan 

If you are an owner, lessee, manager or other person who controls a commercial property, submit a Bicycle Access Plan if you identify specific details and limitations on bicycle access, including route to elevators or stairs that accommodate bicycle access, route to a designated area for bike parking and other information as listed in the Ordinance.  

The Bicycle Access Plan must be submitted online by January 31, 2014.  You will receive an email confirmation of your submission (please check your Spam filter if you do not see it).

Bicycle Access Plans should be submitted to the Department of the Environment. The Plan will be kept on file at the Department and made available upon request to tenants. If you would like to update their Bicycle Access Plan, re-submit a Bicycle Access Plan with the included updates.  

If you do not want to prescribe specific details by which your tenants bring bicycles into your building, no action is required.  By not prescribing access, you are allowing tenants to bring their bicycles into their leased spaces.

Exceptions

If you are an owner, lessee, manager or other person who controls a building, you may fill out an exception form if:

  1. Your building’s elevator is not available for bicycle access due to substantial safety risks; or
  2. Alternate covered off-street or alternate indoor no-cost bicycle parking that meets the security requirements of Planning Code Section 155.1 and 155.2, and is available within three blocks or 750 feet at no-cost, whichever is less, that accommodates all tenants requesting bike access. 

The Department of the Environment, after consultation with the Municipal Transportation Agency and Department of Building Inspection, will either approve or deny the  exception request. Commercial properties that file for an exception should also complete a Bicycle Access Plan to ensure that tenants are aware of the specified location to park their bicycles.  

Planning Code Section 155.2

The Planning Code is a set of adopted regulations that prescribes, among other items, the layout, number and type of bicycle parking intended to ensure that off-street parking facilities are provided in amounts and in a manner that will be consistent with the objectives and policies of the San Francisco General Plan.  Section 155.2 of the Planning Code provides a description of the types of bike parking facilities that qualify as secure and meet the requirements of this ordinance. The two options for bike parking are:

  • Class 1: Facilities which protect the entire bicycle, its components and accessories against theft and against inclement weather, including wind-driven rain. Examples of this type of facility include (1) lockers, (2) check-in facilities, (3) monitored parking, (4) restricted access parking, and (5) personal storage
  • Class 2: Bicycle racks which permit the locking of the bicycle frame and one wheel to the rack and, which support the bicycle in a stable position without damage to wheels, frame or components.

Contact Information

CommuteSmart
San Francisco Department of the Environment (SF Environment)
City & County of San Francisco
Phone: (415) 355-3700
Email: CommuteSmart@sfgov.org

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