Chapter 3:
Bike Parking

Providing convenient, secure places to park is an inexpensive and effective way to encourage bicycling. This chapter identifies five objectives designed to increase the availability of short-term (less than two hours) and long-term (e.g., indoor) bike parking throughout Chicago.

Expanding the Chicago Department of Transportation’s bike parking program (Objective 1) involves partnering with universities, hospitals, and other institutions to install bike parking on their properties. Another strategy is to help establish bike parking inside office buildings, since this is a key way to encourage people to bicycle to work.

Installing bike parking with new development and construction (Objective 2) will significantly increase the number of bike parking spaces, at minimal cost to the city. Providing bike parking at train stations (Objective 3) will encourage bicycling and increase transit ridership.

Providing bike parking at large events and sports facilities (Objective 4) encourages people to bicycle to these venues. Strategies include providing valet bike parking at large events, such as the Chicago Jazz Festival and the Chicago Air and Water Show, and establishing indoor or sheltered bike parking at large sports facilities.

Encouraging bike storage at multi-family residential buildings (Objective 5) involves establishing indoor bike parking and outdoor bike parking sheds for long-term bike parking.