City Ordinance Could Mandate Bike Parking

Even though gas prices are currently low, some of your tenants may be trying to further reduce their carbon footprint by biking to work. The efforts to save the planet could end up costing New York City property owners more money. If your city or town follows suit, you could be next.

City council members in Manhattan are considering two bills that would mandate access to bike parking in most office and retail buildings. The bill—Introduction 871—would require all new office buildings to offer one bicycle space for every 5,000 square feet and one for every 7,500 square feet in all new retail buildings. Another bill—Introduction 78—would require all garages and parking lots to provide at least one bicycle parking space for every 10 car-parking space.

As for existing buildings, council members are suggesting that the bill be changed to remove any reference to “storage,” because tenants within an office building may be able to provide parking even if the building’s owner cannot. Suggested changes to the bill also include the exemption of retail space and a provision that allows for a “reasonable exception for those building owners that have legitimate barriers to compliance.”

Members of the Real Estate Board of NY (REBNY) are speaking out against the proposed laws. Among their concerns are:

Ø Difficulty in accessing basement storage;

Ø Safety of storage spaces and the need for addition security;

Ø Damage that bicycles will cause to elevators;

Ø Lack of alternative entrances;

Ø Potential costs for bike rooms—security cameras and higher insurance premiums.

Source: The New York Times