Individuals or employees who wish to bring bicycles into their workplace should ask their employers to request bicycle access from the building owner. Employers (Tenants or Subtenants) who request bicycle access are responsible for providing appropriate areas within their leased space to store bicycles.

Individuals or employees of businesses in office buildings may not themselves file requests for bicycle access – requests must be filed by the tenant, subtenant, leaseholder, or an authorized representative of the leaseholder.

The building you work in is subject to the provisions of the Bicycle Access to Office Buildings Law if:

• It is a commercial office building;
• It has a freight elevator; and
• A tenant/subtenant requests bicycle access.

Bike Storage is Space Efficient
Bicycle parking requires minimal space. Many offices have some unused “dead space” at the ends of hallways, in the reception area, or underneath stairs. A space of 14 feet by 6 feet can store up to dozen bicycles.

More Bike Parking Resources

• Transportation Alternatives' Indoor Bike Parking Resources
• Department of City Planning’s Presentation on Bike Parking
  This presentation was prepared as part of a change to the zoning codes for new, residential buildings, but the information contained within is useful to anyone planning bicycle storage.
• Victoria Transport Policy Institute’s Guide to Indoor Bike Storage
  

Back to Main Page

Q: I work in an office building. How can I get bicycle access?
A: Ask your employer (who is a tenant in the office building) to file a request for bicycle access with the building owner and the Department of Transportation through www.nyc.gov/bikesinbuildings. In most cases, the building will either implement a Bicycle Access Plan or provide for secure alternate bicycle parking in or near the building about a month after a request for bicycle access is filed.

Q: I work in an office building. Can I bring my bicycle into work?
A: Not necessarily. The Bicycle Access to Office Buildings Law does not require buildings to allow bicycles inside until a tenant (your employer or you if you are the lease holder) files a formal request for bicycle access using an official form. After a tenant requests access, the building has 30 days to either implement a Bicycle Access Plan or inform the tenant that it has applied for an exception to the law.

Some buildings may choose to make informal arrangements for bicycle access with tenants and their employees. If this is the case in your building, you may be able to bring your bike inside even if your employer and building have not engaged in the Bikes in Buildings process.

Q: I work in an office building. Am I a tenant/subtenant?
A: Probably not. A tenant/subtenant is a person or entity, typically representing a business, that has signed a lease on a commercial office space. Only tenants or their authorized representatives can file requests for bicycle access.

Q: If my employer is a tenant in an office building, does that make me a subtenant? Can I apply for bicycle access?
A: Individual employees of businesses are not subtenants, and may not apply for bicycle access. A subtenant is a person or entity that has a contractual arrangement with the tenant to rent space.

Q: Can I file a request for bicycle access with the owner of the building I work in?
A: Not unless you are authorized to speak on behalf of your employer. Only tenants or subtenants may file requests for bicycle access. A tenant/subtenant is defined as an entity (a person, business, or other organization) that has signed a lease or sublease for an office space. If you are an employee, you should approach your office manager, human resources director, facilities manager or other authorized tenant representative to discuss bicycle access. The authorized representative can then make the request on behalf of your employer.

Q: I would like to bring my bicycle into my office, but my employer won’t let me. What can I do?
A: The Bicycle Access to Office Buildings Law requires that office buildings grant bicycle access to their tenants (such as your employer) but it does not require that employers grant bicycle access to their employees. Convincing your employer of the benefits of having employees bike to work is up to you and your fellow cyclist co-workers.

Q: My workplace is not a commercial office building. How does this law apply to me?
A: The Bicycle Access to Office Buildings Law covers only buildings that are composed predominantly of offices. Buildings with some offices, but a majority of their space occupied by other uses, are not covered by the law.

Q: My employer requested bicycle access and the building is giving it to us, but they are asking me to sign a form before I can bring my bike in. Can they do this?
A: No. Bicycle Access Plans may not subject tenants or their employees to such requirements as:

•  the signing of releases or indemnities;
• revocation clauses; or
• compliance with building rules and regulations that impose additional duties on tenants and cyclists that are not contemplated in the Bicycle Access to Office Buildings Law.

Back to Main Page