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Types of Bike Parking | Request a Bike Rack or Corral | Request a Bike Rack Be Moved or Removed | Bike Parking Locations in the City | Bike Racks and Building Permit Approvals | Bikehangar FAQs | Additional Resources
Secure bike parking is a critical amenity to get more people on two wheels. The SFMTA plays a proactive role in installing bike parking racks on sidewalks and in select on-street spaces for short-term parking. Every year, the SFMTA aims to install 500 to 1,000 bike racks across the city. You can also request a sidewalk bike rack or bike corral near you. Commuters may be interested in using long term bike parking, such as bike lockers to park their bike.
What Types Of Bike Parking Are Available In San Francisco?
The SFMTA installs racks for short-term bike parking in the public right-of-way (on the sidewalk or in the parking lane) by request, at no charge. The SFMTA does not install racks on private property or for purposes of longer-term bike storage. Only requests for locations where the SFMTA Bicycle Parking Guidelines can be met will be fulfilled. In general, there are two types of short-term bicycle parking, including: sidewalk bicycle racks and bicycle corrals.
Short-Term Bike Parking
Sidewalk Bike Racks
Sidewalk bicycle racks are installed on the sidewalk for short-term parking in the public right of way. Most sidewalk bicycle racks look like an inverted-U shape and up to two bicycles can be parked on the rack.
Bicycle Corrals
On-street bicycle parking corrals are bicycle racks placed in the parking lane on the roadway where short-term demand for bike parking is higher than can be accommodated on the sidewalk. Approximately 8 to 12 bikes can be parked in one car space—making bike corrals a comparatively efficient use of roadway space. If you're part of an agency, business, building, or organization interested in sponsoring a corral, take a look at the SFMTA's process for approving On-Street Bicycle Parking Corrals.
Medium-Term Bike Parking
Bikehangars
The SFMTA, in partnership with the Yerba Buena Community Benefits District (YBCBD) and BikeLink, is piloting bikehangars at two locations in the Yerba Buena district (at 4th & Minna and Howard & 2nd Streets). These bikehangars are intended to provide secure, medium-term bike storage. Bikehangars have limited, monitored access to make them more secure than our short-term bike racks. More information can be found in the Bikehangar FAQs section below.
Long-Term Bike Parking
Long-term bicycle parking should be low or no cost to users, easy to use, and readily available in dense urban areas with demand for secure facilities. Most existing long-term bicycle parking in San Francisco is provided by our regional transit operators, BART and Caltrain.
The SFMTA provides long-term bicycle parking options primarily at city-owned garages in and around downtown. Before planning your trip, take a look at the bicycle parking options at SFMTA Garages. The SFMTA, in conjunction with the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, has also installed bicycle lockers at 22nd Street Caltrain Station.
How Can I Request A Bike Rack or Corral?
If you’re interested in requesting a sidewalk bicycle rack, please visit our online public request form link below. Prior to submitting your request, please take a look at the Bicycle Rack Specifications and the Sidewalk Bicycle Rack Placement Guidelines (specifically pages 19-22). After receiving your request, the SFMTA will survey the location and if feasible install bicycle rack(s). Note that due to the high volume of rack requests we receive, installations generally take approximately 5-6 months from the time of request. Developers, please do not use this request form as part of your rack requirements under the Planning Code - please refer to the "Are Sidewalk Bicycle Racks Part Of Your Building Permit Approval Process?" section below.
Request a new sidewalk bicycle rack
If you're interested in sponsoring an on-street bicycle corral, please find the application form at the link below. Please carefully review the Bike Corral Standards and Application Form (linked PDF) for more information prior to submitting an application. To request a corral, please complete and submit the final page of the form to bikeparking@sfmta.com. Note that installation generally takes approximately 6 months from the time that we receive your request.
Apply to sponsor a new on-street bicycle parking corral
To report graffiti and/or damaged bike racks, click the link below:
Report graffiti and/or damaged bike racks here
How Can I Request That a Bike Rack Be Moved or Removed?
Bike parking is a public amenity that not only helps support bike riding in the city, but also is critical infrastructure for other sustainable modes of travel including bikeshare and scootershare. Like other public amenities in the sidewalk furniture zone, bike parking is installed in both commercial and residential areas.
Requests to remove bike racks with the following justifications will not be considered:
- I don't like where the rack is or how it looks
- I did not request a rack in front of my home or business
- Bike racks aren't needed here
The SFMTA will consider, on a case-by-case basis, requests to move or remove bike racks with these justifications:
- The rack does not meet the SFMTA's placement guidelines (see page 21) and is blocking the accessible pedestrian path of travel
- The rack is blocking the accessible path of travel into or out of my business's shared spaces parklet
- The rack needs to be removed to facilitate a construction project
If you believe that your request to move or remove a bike rack meets these criteria, please send your request to bikeparking@sfmta.com.
Where Is Bicycle Parking Located In The City?
There are over 5,000 bicycle racks and corrals citywide available for public use. Most existing long-term bicycle parking in San Francisco is provided by our regional transit operators, BART and Caltrain.
The SFMTA provides long-term bicycle parking options in city-owned garages in and around downtown with a combination of bicycle racks at various public garages throughout the city.
Before planning your trip, take a look at the bicycle parking options available at selected SFMTA Garages.
Are Sidewalk Bicycle Racks Part Of Your Building Permit Approval Process?
The SFMTA has final authority on the type, placement and number of short-term bicycle racks within the public right-or-way. For anyone seeking a building permit in San Francisco, prior to issuance of the first architectural addenda, the project sponsor must contact the SFMTA Bike Parking Program at bikeparking@sfmta.com to coordinate the installation of on-street bicycle racks and ensure that the proposed bicycle racks meet the SFMTA bicycle parking guidelines. Depending on local site conditions and anticipated demand, the SFMTA may request the project sponsor pay an in-lieu fee for Class II bike racks (short-term bike parking) required by the Planning Code Sections 155.1, 155.4, and 155.5. Please check with your assigned Project Planner at the Planning Department for more details on the number of Class II bike racks required for your project under the Planning Code.
For information on rack choice, hardware, and placement requirements, please review the SFMTA’s Bicycle Parking Guidelines, Standards, and Recommendations prior to submitting your plans to the email listed above.
For information about planning code compliance, contact Code Enforcement, Planning Department at 415-575-6863, www.sf-planning.org
Bikehangar Frequenty Asked Questions
Q: What is a bikehangar?
A: A Bikehangar is a public multi-space, one-door bike parking facility located in a car parking space.
Q: Where are bikehangars in San Francisco?
A: The two-year pilot project starts in the Yerba Buena Community Benefits District, south of Market Street, at the following locations: 4th & Minna Streets (Metreon) and Howard & 2nd Streets. Pending the outcome and evaluation, the SFMTA may consider additional bikehangars in other parts of the city.
Q: What’s inside the bikehangars?
A: The bikehangars contain bike racks similar to an on-street bike corral for users to lock their bikes.
Q: How do I get access to the bikehangars?
A: Access is granted via app-based control on your phone, similar to access to bike lockers at transit hubs and SFMTA parking garages (via BikeLink). Monitored access is provided through the company, and registration is required.
Note: the bikehangars are currently in beta testing mode. During the beta period you will need to request access here, then create an account with the BikeLink app. You will use the app to access the bikehangar.
Q: How do I open a bikehangar and start my rental?
A: Open the BikeLink app at the bikehangar where you intend to store your bike (be sure you have bluetooth turned on). Press rent and enter the desired rental time (note that you will be refunded for any unused rental time, so be sure your rental time is of sufficient duration). Wait for the latch to unlock. Turn the knob, lift the door open, & lock your bike bike. Then close the door and then turn the latch until it CLICKS.
Q: How do I park my bike inside the hangar?
A: Lock your bike to the bike rack inside the bike hangar. Lock both wheels and frame.
Q: Who do we contact if there’s an issue? / Who is managing the hangars?
A: BikeLink. BikeLink Support is available 24/7 at 888-540-2957 or www.bikelink.org.
Q: How much does it cost to rent a space in a bikehangar and is the SFMTA making money from us?
A: The costs are $.05 per hour for standard time, and $.12 per hour for expired time just like at all the SFMTA BikeLink facilities. This revenue covers only the cost of 24/7 user support.). The SFMTA will not be making money from Bikehangar use.
Q: When can I use a bikehangar?
A: Public launch of the bikehangars is anticipated to take place late spring/early summer 2024. For beta access, request access here or contact support@bikelink.org.
Q: I have an e-bike. Can I store it in the Bikehangar?
A: Yes, provided it fits within the maximum dimensions – height 1200mm, length 1800mm x handlebar width 750mm. Please check the dimensions carefully before parking, including any accessories such as mudguards, baskets, mirrors, etc. Do not store any removable hardware, such as batteries and head units, in the bikehangar.
Q: Can I leave my helmet and accessories in the Bikehangar?
A: No, you should not leave accessories in the Bikehangar. Accessories such as child seats and panniers may cause an obstruction to other users. If you have biking accessories we recommend using a BikeLink eLocker.
Q: The latch won’t turn when I press unlock in the app; what should I do?
A: Force quit the app and try again. If you continue to experience issues, call BikeLink support at 888-540-2957.
Q: The app says there are spaces available, but when I opened the bikehangar, all the spaces were full. What should I do?
A: This means one or more of the parking spaces is not rented. Please take a photo and send it to support@bikelink.org. If you see a Bikelink ID sticker on any of the bikes, please include those numbers. Close the door, then end your rental and lock the bikehangar again. If you left the bikehangar without ending your rental, call 888-540-0546 and let BikeLink support know you need to end your rental because you did not park your bike.
Q: My phone died. How can I retrieve my bike?
A: We recommend downloading the app and signing in on another phone. If no other phones are available to you please call (510) 239-7459 during business hours or (888) 540-0546 after hours and BikeLink will provide you with a code to manually end your rental.
Q: Can I rent more than 1 space at a time?
A: No, at this time you may only rent 1 bikehangar space at a time.
Q: My bike was stolen from inside the Bikehangar, can I claim for a replacement?
A: No, you cannot claim for a lost bike or any other item stolen from within a bikehangar. Your bike is parked in the bikehangar at your own risk. We recommend always locking your bike to the rack inside the bikehangar when parking.
Q: My account ran out of credit while my bike is still in the bikehangar. What happens now?
A: BikeLink’s policy is to always allow users to retrieve their bike regardless if they have run out of funds. This applies to SFMTA’s bikehangars as well.
Q: Do I need to lock my bike while it’s parked in the Bikehangar?
A: YES! We recommend you always lock your bike when it is stored in the bikehangar.
Q: Why have bikehangars?
A: The purpose is to afford people more security than a regular sidewalk bicycle rack. Users are recommended to lock their bikes inside, and the hangar offers another level of security. Bikehangars also offer protection from the elements.
Q: Have these worked elsewhere?
A: Yes, they have been successful in England, and our design follows a European model.
Q: How are these different than the bike lockers?
A: Bikehangars require less space and do not have individual spaces. They are a larger locker with one space for six bikes. Note that since this is a shared space you need to lock your bike inside the hangar and not leave any accessories.
Q: Do hangars take up existing car parking spaces?
A: Yes, although it depends on what is already there; these bikehangars can convert vehicle parking spaces in the curb lane into bike parking to support micro-mobility and multi-modal transportation. By helping facilitate a mode shift to more sustainable modes, the bikehangar program aligns with SFMTA and San Francisco climate and transportation goals.
Q: Do the bikehangars accommodate larger e-cargo bikes?
A: At this point, the bikehangars accommodate standard bike sizes only. However, the SFMTA hopes to accommodate larger e-cargo bikes with additional future hangar pilot projects.
Q: Who painted the bikehangars?
A: Yerba Buena Community Benefits District worked with local artist Amandalynn to design the decorative wraps for the bikehangars.
Q: How are these different than the bike lockers?
A: Bikehangars require less space and do not have individual spaces. They are a larger locker with one space for six bikes. Note that since this is a shared space you need to lock your bike inside the hangar and not leave any accessories.
Additional Resources
For information about long-term bike parking in San Francisco office buildings, please refer to the Employee Bike Access Bill passed by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 2012. This bill requires owners of commercial buildings to either provide secure bicycle parking in buildings or to allow the tenants to bring their bicycles into the building.
Our Partners
The SFMTA is currently installing bicycle parking facilities thanks to funding by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) Transportation Fund for Clean Air (TFCA) Bicycle Facilities Program (BFP) and County Program Manager’s Program.
