How do I get a bike rack?

We get a lot of questions about bike parking. Dero, a company that makes racks, has a really great summary of how to do bike parking right. You can read it here: dero.com/bike-parking-guide.pdf

If you are wondering how to 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, use this form. Find more info on this page
  • Prince Georges County does not have a way to request bike parking, but some of the cities and towns within the county do. We recommend calling your city hall directly.
  • In DC:
    1. If the space is in a Business Improvement District, start by calling your BID.
    2. If you’re not in a BID or your BID doesn’t help you, submit a request through 311 for Bicycle Services. Include a a photo and detailed description of the location.
    3. 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.
WABA repaired & installed rack

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.
  • Prince Georges County’s bike parking requirements and design guidelines are in section 27A-707 of the Zoning Code, which you can find here.  Note: because of the structure of the site, we can’t link directly to the relevant section. You’ll need to click through the table of contents (Zoning > 27A > 707), and the actual Zoning Code is provided as a Microsoft Word file. :/

Historical Note: In 2013, WABA was the contractor that installed bike racks for DDOT. This is no longer the case.

Page last updated by Garrett Hennigan on October 28, 2021.