A proposed ordinance that will enable more bicycle parking is rolling right along--the Bicycle Parking Ordinance was approved with a few caveats this afternoon by the LA City Council's Planning and Land Use Management committee. The city of LA currently requires commercial buildings to have bicycle parking equal to two percent of car parking, a ratio that results in about one bike space per 25,000 square feet. There're currently no rules for buildings under 10,000 square feet. Under the new ordinance, new or existing car parking spaces for all nonresidential development can be replaced by bicycle parking at a ratio of one car parking spot for every four bike parking spots, up to 20 percent of the required car parking space (or higher for buildings within 1,500 feet of a major bus center, major bus route, or mass transit station). New or existing car parking spaces for residential buildings can be replaced by bike parking at the same ratio, up to 10 percent of the required car parking space (and up to 15 if close to transit).
Councilmember Paul Krekorian asked for follow-up on the main complaint heard during today's hearing--that bicycle parking in front of multi-family buildings would be a hindrance in neighborhoods zoned R3, where there might be a single-family house right next door. One commenter even claimed: "Single family residents, who were there first, have enough to worry about living across from multi-family without worrying about clutter of bike racks." Eesh. That concern might run afoul of the original intentions of the ordinance--as Planner Tom Rothman said in May: "We're expanding where and how you can park your bike. We're providing design standards, down to the detail of where to put bike parking and how to increase visibility so we don't hide bike racks in the back of a building."
· Hearings Announced for New, Progressive, Bike Parking Ordinance [Streetsblog]
· Angelenos May Not Have to Beg for Bike Parking Anymore [Curbed LA]
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