D.C. Mun. Regs. tit. 11, r. 11-3531

Current through Register Vol. 71, No. 49, December 6, 2024

Rule 11-3531 - BICYCLE PARKING (WR)

3531.1

When bicycle parking spaces are required, signs shall be posted in a prominent place at each entrance to the building or structure stating where bicycle parking spaces are located.

3531.2

A property owner shall provide and maintain all required bicycle parking spaces so long as the structure that the bicycle parking spaces are designed to serve exists. Maintenance of required bicycle parking spaces shall include keeping all racks and spaces clear of snow, ice, and any other obstructions.

3531.3

Where required bicycle parking is provided as 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 without removing a wheel from the bicycle;

(b) A bicycle six feet (6 ft.) long can be securely held with its frame supported in at least two (2) places so that it cannot be pushed over or fall in a manner that would damage the wheels or components;

(c) Racks shall be placed a minimum of thirty inches (30 in.) on center from one another; twenty-four inches (24 in.) from any other obstructions; with a forty-eight inch (48 in.) minimum aisle separating racks; and provide a minimum clearance width of twelve inches (12 in.) for each bicycle; and

(d) The rack shall be securely anchored.

3531.4

Each required bicycle parking space shall be accessible without moving another bicycle.

3531.5

Bicycle parking spaces shall be provided as stated in this subsection:

(a) All residential uses with eight (8) or more dwelling units and non-residential uses with four thousand square feet (4,000 sq. ft.) or more of gross floor area shall provide bicycle parking spaces pursuant to the following table:

Use Agriculture, Large	Long-Term Spaces None	Short-Term Spaces 2 spaces
Agriculture, Residential	None	None
Animal Sales, Care and Boarding	1 space for each 10,000 sq. ft.	1 space for each 10,000 sq. ft.
Antennas	None	None
Arts Design and Creation	1 space for each 10,000 sq. ft.	1 space for each 20,000 sq. ft.
Basic Utilities	1 space for each 20,000 sq. ft.	None
Chancery	1 space for each 5,000 sq. ft.	1 space for each 40,000 sq. ft.
Community-Based Institutional Facility	1 space for each 10,000 sq. ft.	1 space for each 10,000 sq. ft.
Daytime Care	1 space for each 10,000 sq. ft.	1 space for each 10,000 sq. ft.
Eating and Drinking Establishment	1 for each 10,000 sq. ft.	1 space for each 3,500 sq. ft.
Education, College/ University	1 space for each 7,500 sq. ft.	1 space for each 2,000 sq. ft.
Education, Private School	1 space for each 7,500 sq. ft.	1 space for each 2,000 sq. ft.
Education, Public	1 space for each 7,500 sq. ft.	1 space for each 2,000 sq. ft.
Emergency Shelter	1 space for each 10,000 sq. ft.	1 space for each 10,000 sq. ft.
Entertainment, Assembly, and Performing Arts	1 space for each 10,000 sq. ft.	1 space for each 10,000 sq. ft.
Firearm Sales	1 space for each 10,000 sq. ft.	1 space for each 3,500 sq. ft.
Government, Large-Scale	1 for each 7,500 sq. ft.	1 space for each 40,000 sq. ft. but no less than 6 spaces
Government, Local	1 for each 7,500 sq. ft.	1 space for each 40,000 sq. ft. but no less than 6 spaces
Medical Care	1 space for each 10,000 sq. ft.	1 space for each 40,000 sq. ft.
Institutional, General	1 space for each 7,500 sq. ft.	1 space for each 2,500 sq. ft. but no less than 8 spaces
Institutional, Religious	1 space for each 7,500 sq. ft.	1 space for each 2,500 sq. ft. but no
less than 8 spaces
Lodging	1 space for each 10,000 sq. ft.	1 space for each 40,000 sq. ft.
Marine	None	1 space for each 3,500 sq. ft.
Motor Vehicle-related	1 space for each 20,000 sq. ft.	1 space for each 10,000 sq. ft.
Office	1 for each 2,500 sq. ft.	1 space for each 40,000 sq. ft.
Parking	None	None
Parks and Recreation	None	1 space for each 10,000 sq. ft. but no less than 6 spaces
Production, Distribution, & Repair	1 space for each 20,000 sq. ft.	None
Residential House Residential Flat	None	None
Residential Apartment	1 space for each 3 dwelling units	1 space for each 20 dwelling units
Retail	1 for each 10,000 sq. ft.	1 space for each 3,500 sq. ft.
Service, General	1 for each 10,000 sq. ft.	1 space for each 3,500 sq. ft.
Service, Financial	1 for each 10,000 sq. ft.	1 space for each 3,500 sq. ft.
Sexually-based Business Establishment	1 for each 10,000 sq. ft.	1 space for each 10,000 sq. ft.
Transportation Infrastructure	None	None
Waste-related Services	1 space for each 20,000 sq. ft.	None

(b) After the first fifty (50) bicycle parking spaces are provided for a use, additional spaces are required at one-half (1/2) the ratio specified in § 3531.5(a);

(c) Notwithstanding §§ 3531.5(a) and (b), no property shall be required to provide more than one hundred (100) short-term bicycle parking spaces. All properties with a long-term bicycle parking requirement shall provide at least two (2) long-term spaces, and all properties with a short-term requirement shall provide at least two (2) short-term spaces. The bicycle parking standards of this chapter shall be met when a new building is constructed;

(d) When a property changes use categories or adds a use category, the property shall add any bicycle parking spaces necessary to meet the requirements for the new use. However, historic resources shall not be required to provide additional bicycle parking spaces for a change in use when the gross floor area of the building is not expanded;

(e) An addition to an existing building, or the expansion of a use within a building, triggers additional bicycle parking requirements only when the gross floor area of the building or use is expanded or enlarged by twenty-five percent (25%) or more beyond the gross floor area on September 4, 2015, or in the case of a new building, the gross floor area used to calculate the initial parking requirement. The additional minimum parking required shall be calculated based upon the entire gross floor area added;

(f) Additions to historic resources shall be required to provide additional bicycle parking spaces only for the addition's gross floor area and only when the addition results in at least a fifty percent (50%) increase in gross floor area beyond the gross floor area existing on September 4, 2015;

(g) If a use operates solely outside of a building, any expansion of that use shall conform to the applicable bicycle parking standards;

(h) Uses governed by a campus plan are subject to the bicycle parking requirements approved by the Zoning Commission and are not subject to the bicycle parking requirements otherwise applicable; and

(i) When there is more than one (1) use on a lot, the number of bicycle parking spaces provided must equal the total required for all uses. If a single use falls into more than one (1) use category for which different bicycle parking minimums apply, the standard that requires the greater number of bicycle parking spaces shall apply.

3531.6

The amount of bicycle parking shall be calculated pursuant to the rules of this subsection:

(a) All bicycle parking standards shall be calculated on the basis of gross floor area, except for Residential uses, which base bicycle parking standards on the number of dwelling units;

(b) For purposes of calculating bicycle parking standards, gross floor area does not include floor area devoted to off-street parking or loading facilities, including aisles, ramps, and maneuvering space; and

(c) Calculations of bicycle parking spaces that result in a fractional number of one-half (1/2) or more shall be rounded up to the next consecutive whole number. Any fractional result of less than one-half (1/2) shall be rounded down to the previous consecutive whole number.

3531.7

Short-Term Bicycle Parking Spaces shall meet the following requirements:

(a) Required short-term bicycle parking spaces shall be located either on the same lot as the use they are intended to serve or on public space within twenty feet (20 ft.) of the lot. A use providing short-term bicycle parking on adjacent public space must obtain approval of a public space application under Title 24 DCMR;

(b) Required short-term bicycle parking spaces shall be located within one-hundred and twenty feet (120 ft.) of a primary entrance to the building they serve;

(c) Areas devoted to short-term bicycle parking on private property shall be surfaced and maintained with an all-weather surface;

(d) Required short-term bicycle parking spaces shall be provided as bicycle racks that meet the standards of § 3531.3;

(e) An aisle at least four feet (4 ft.) wide between rows of bicycle parking spaces and the perimeter of the area devoted to bicycle parking shall be provided. Aisles shall be kept clear of obstructions at all times. Where the bicycle parking is on or adjacent to a sidewalk, the aisle may extend into the right-of-way; and

(f) Required short-term bicycle parking spaces shall be provided in a convenient, well-lit location that can be viewed from the building the spaces are intended to serve. Required short-term bicycle parking spaces shall be available for shoppers, customers, commuters, messengers, and all other visitors to the site.

3531.8

Long-Term Bicycle Parking Spaces shall meet the following requirements:

(a) All required long-term bicycle parking spaces shall be located within the building of the use requiring them;

(b) Except as noted below, required long-term bicycle parking spaces shall be located no lower than the first cellar level or the first complete parking level below grade, and no higher than the first above-grade level. Spaces shall be available to employees, residents, and other building occupants;

(c) If vehicular parking is segregated on different levels of a parking garage based on use, required long-term bicycle parking spaces may be located on the garage level dedicated to the use which generated the bicycle parking requirement. However, in no instance shall required long-term bicycle spaces be located lower than the second parking level below grade or the second parking level above grade;

(d) Required long-term bicycle parking shall be provided as racks or lockers. Bicycle racks for required long-term parking shall be provided in a parking garage or a bicycle storage room;

(e) Where required long-term bicycle parking is provided in a garage, it shall be clearly marked and be separated from adjacent motor vehicle parking spaces by wheel stops or other physical automobile barrier;

(f) Where required long-term bicycle parking is provided in a bicycle room, the room shall have either solid walls or floor-to-ceiling fencing. The room shall have locked doors;

(g) For any bicycle room with solid walls, the entirety of the interior of the bicycle room shall be visible from the entry door. A motion-activated security light enclosed in a tamper-proof housing shall be provided in each bicycle room;

(h) Where required long-term bicycle parking is provided in lockers, the lockers shall be securely anchored and meet the following minimum dimensions:

(1) Twenty-four inches (24 in.) in width at the door end;

(2) Eight inches (8 in.) in width at the opposite end;

(3) Seventy-two inches (72 in.) in length; and

(4) Forty-eight inches (48 in.) in height;

(i) Each required long-term bicycle parking space shall be directly accessible by means of an aisle of a minimum width of four feet (4 ft.) and have a minimum vertical clearance of seventy-five inches (75 in.). Aisles shall be kept clear of obstructions at all times;

(j) A minimum of fifty percent (50%) of the required long-term bicycle parking spaces shall allow the bicycles to be placed horizontally on the floor or ground. Vertical bicycle racks shall support the bicycle without the bicycle being suspended; and

(k) Each required long-term bicycle parking space shall be a minimum width of twenty-four inches (24 in.), and shall be:

(1) A minimum of seventy-two inches (72 in.) in length if the bicycles are to be placed horizontally; or

(2) A minimum of forty inches (40 in.) in length if the bicycles are to be placed vertically.

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3531.9

Showers and Changing Facilities for newly constructed buildings and buildings that expand in gross floor area by more than twenty five percent (25%) shall meet the requirements of this subsection, which is intended to ensure that long-term bicycle parking spaces are usable by the long-term occupants, especially employees, of non-residential uses:

(a) A non-residential use that requires long-term bicycle parking spaces and that occupies more than twenty-five thousand square feet (25,000 sq. ft.) in gross floor area shall provide a minimum of two (2) showers. An additional two (2) showers shall be installed for every fifty thousand square feet (50,000 sq. ft.) of gross floor area above the first twenty-five thousand square feet (25,000 sq. ft.), up to a maximum requirement of six (6) showers;

(b) A non-residential use that requires long-term bicycle parking spaces and that occupies more than twenty-five thousand square feet (25,000 sq. ft.) in gross floor area shall provide a minimum number of clothing lockers equal to six-tenths (0.6) times the minimum number of required long-term bicycle parking spaces. Each locker required by this subsection shall be a minimum of twelve inches (12 in.) wide, eighteen inches (18 in.) deep, and thirty-six inches (36 in.) high;

(c) Showers and lockers required by this subsection shall be accessible to employees and other long-term occupants of the use requiring them. Showers and lockers shall be located within the same building as the use requiring them; and

(d) Where more than one non-residential use in a building requires shower and locker facilities under this subsection, the uses may share a single shower and locker facility, as long as the total number of showers and lockers is equal to the sum total required for the uses individually.

3531.10

When providing the number of bicycle parking spaces or showers and changing facilities required is impractical or contrary to other District regulations, or when it is unnecessary due to a lack of demand for bicycle parking, the Board of Zoning Adjustment may grant, as a special exception, a full or partial reduction in the minimum number of long-term spaces, the minimum number of short term spaces, or the quantity of shower and changing facilities required for a use or structure, subject to the general requirements of § 3104 and the requirements of this subsection:

(a) If requesting a reduction in the amount of parking, the applicant must demonstrate one (1) of the following:

(1) Due to the physical constraints of the property, the required bicycle parking spaces cannot be provided on the lot or, in the case of short-term bicycle parking spaces, on abutting public space; or

(2) The use or structure will generate demand for less bicycle parking than the minimum bicycle parking standards require, as a result of:

(A) The nature of the use or structure;

(B) Land use or topographical characteristics of the neighborhood that minimize the need for required bicycle parking spaces; or

(C) A transportation demand management plan approved by DDOT, the implementation of which shall be a condition of the Board of Zoning Adjustment's approval, will result in demand for less short-term bicycle parking than the minimum bicycle parking standards require; or

(3) The nature or location of an historic resource precludes the provision of bicycle parking spaces; or providing the required bicycle parking would result in significant architectural or structural difficulty in maintaining the integrity and appearance of the historic resource;

(b) A reduction in parking granted under this subsection shall only be for the amount that the applicant demonstrates cannot be physically provided, and proportionate to the reduction in bicycle parking demand demonstrated by the applicant; and

(c) If requesting a reduction in the quantity of shower and changing facilities, the applicant must demonstrate that:

(1) The intent of § 3531.9 is met; and

(2) Either:

(A) The use will not generate the demand for the full number of showers and changing facilities required; or

(B) The property owner has an arrangement to make use of showers and changing facilities off-site, and that the showers and changing facilities will be reasonably available to long-term occupants of the use requiring the facilities.

D.C. Mun. Regs. tit. 11, r. 11-3531

Final Rulemaking published at 62 DCR 12168 (9/4/2015)