How To Get A Bike Rack
We get a lot of questions about bike parking. If you are wondering how to have bike parking installed somewhere, here’s a quick breakdown. To request bike parking in public space:
- In Alexandria, use this web tool.
- In Arlington, use this form.
- In Fairfax County, call (703) 877-5600
- In Montgomery County, fill out and mail the form on this page
- Prince Georges County does not have a way to request bike parking, but some of the cities within the county do. We recommend calling your city hall directly.
In DC:
- If the space is in a Business Improvement District, start by calling your BID.
- If you’re not in a BID or your BID doesn’t help you, call 311 and put in a public rack request.
- If you are a business and want to install your own racks in public space, you’ll need to purchase your own racks (be sure they comply with DDOT’s design guidelines), get a permit for each installation (like any other public space construction/installation), and find a contractor with the necessary tools (a hammer drill) to do the installation.
Regulations and guidelines for bike parking in private space (which includes things like store parking lots and apartment buildings) vary across jurisdictions.
- DC – Regulations and requirements, Design Guidelines (PDF)
- Arlington – Bike Parking Specifications (PDF)
- Alexandria – Bike Parking Standards
- Fairfax County – Bike parking guidelines are written and in the process of being approved. Check here for updates.
- Montgomery County – Bike parking requirements depend on size and zoning. They are described in section 6-2.4.C of the recently approved zoning code (very large PDF). Bike parking standards are in section 6-2.6 of the same document.