Reviewed against the New York City Zoning Resolution on June 2, 2026. NYC sets its bicycle parking rules in the Zoning Resolution, Section 25-80, with the required amounts for residential uses in Section 25-811. Requirements change and vary by use and district. Always confirm the current Zoning Resolution with the NYC Department of City Planning and Department of Buildings at permit time. This is planning guidance, not legal or permit advice.
Short answer
New York City sets bicycle parking minimums in its Zoning Resolution, Section 25-80, and the residential amounts are in Section 25-811. For an apartment building, the requirement is 1 enclosed bicycle parking space per two dwelling units. The requirement is waived for buildings or building segments with 10 dwelling units or less, so it applies once you cross that threshold. Up to half of the required spaces may be provided as unenclosed spaces. Single-family detached residences are exempt.
Enclosed versus unenclosed in New York City
NYC frames its requirement around enclosed accessory bicycle parking. An enclosed space is the secure, weather-protected type: surrounded by a solid enclosure (except where a parking garage is open at the sides) and covered by a roof, in an area secured by a lock or with a securely anchored rack the frame and at least one wheel can lock to. The base requirement is stated in enclosed spaces, and then the code lets you flex some of it: “Up to half of required spaces may be provided as unenclosed bicycle parking spaces pursuant to the requirements of Section 25-83.” So at least half of a building’s required bike parking stays the secure, enclosed type.
This maps to the long-term and short-term split other cities use: enclosed is the resident, all-day storage; the unenclosed allowance covers shorter-term, visible parking.
What New York City requires for residential
For residential uses the minimum comes from the table in Section 25-811. The exact text:
| Residential use | Enclosed bicycle parking spaces required |
|---|---|
| All other types of residences (except single-family detached and affordable independent residences for seniors) | 1 per two dwelling units |
| Single-family detached residences | None required |
| Affordable independent residences for seniors | 1 per 10,000 square feet of floor area |
Source: NYC Zoning Resolution, Section 25-811, “Required Bicycle Parking Spaces for Residential or Community Facility Uses.” Two calculation rules matter: “any fraction of a space 50 percent or greater shall be counted as an additional space,” and for rooming units, “three rooming units shall be considered the equivalent of one dwelling unit.”
The New York City wrinkle: the 10-unit threshold and the half-unenclosed rule
Two things decide whether and how the rule bites. First, the requirement “shall be waived for bicycle parking spaces that are accessory to buildings or building segments containing 10 dwelling units or less.” A small building skips it; an 11-unit building does not. Second, the base number is enclosed spaces, but “up to half” may be provided unenclosed under Section 25-83. So plan for the full enclosed number first, then decide how much of it you want to keep as secure room versus visible racks. Where an enclosed accessory parking garage is provided, the requirement is the table amount “or one for every 10 automobile parking spaces … whichever will require a greater number.”
What New York City requires for community facility uses
The same table sets community facility ratios by floor area (a sample):
| Community facility use | Enclosed bicycle parking spaces required |
|---|---|
| College or school dormitories, fraternity or sorority houses | 1 per 2,000 square feet of floor area |
| Colleges, universities, or seminaries (classrooms, labs, offices) | 1 per 5,000 square feet of floor area |
| Libraries, museums, non-commercial art galleries | 1 per 20,000 square feet of floor area |
| All other community facility uses not otherwise listed | 1 per 10,000 square feet of floor area |
Source: Section 25-811. The table also waives the requirement for small counts (for example, colleges where the required number is six or less). Pull the exact row for the use.
Design standards New York City writes into the code
Section 25-811 and the related rules in Section 25-83 (last amended 12/5/2024) set the standards that decide whether a space counts. An enclosed space has to be surrounded on all sides by a solid enclosure (except where a parking garage is open at the sides) and covered by a roof for weather protection, in an area secured by a lock or with a securely anchored rack the frame and at least one wheel can lock to. The size standard is 15 square feet of area per bicycle space. That can be reduced by up to 9 square feet per bicycle where the Commissioner of Buildings (DOB) certifies that a submitted layout adequately accommodates the specified number of bicycles.
What the residential number looks like in practice
Take a 120-unit apartment building (a residential use above the 10-unit threshold).
- Enclosed requirement: 1 per two dwelling units, so 120 / 2 = 60 enclosed bicycle parking spaces.
- Flexibility: up to half of those (up to 30) may be provided as unenclosed spaces under Section 25-83, which means at least 30 stay in the secure, enclosed room and the rest can be split as the design calls for.
Sixty spaces is a substantial secure room in a dense NYC floor plate, where square footage is the constraint. That is exactly where high-density racks earn their keep. Confirm the building is above 10 dwelling units, because below that the requirement is waived.
How New York City relates to New York State and the California cities
New York State has no single statewide bicycle-parking mandate equivalent to California’s CALGreen; in New York City, the Zoning Resolution sets the counts directly. NYC’s 1-per-two-units enclosed ratio is a clean, citable answer, and the half-unenclosed flexibility is specific to the city. If you work across states, treat each city’s code as its own; for the California framework, see our California multifamily bike parking overview, and for the city-by-city set, the bike parking codes by city hub.
Where each type goes in a New York City building
- Enclosed (the secure, all-day storage) is the locked, roofed room that must hold at least half the count: built from high-density long-term bike room layouts using two-tier (Double Docker) and vertical (Offset) racks. In a tight NYC floor plate the density tradeoff is everything: see vertical vs two-tier bike parking and the two-tier ceiling-height requirements, plus bike lockers vs bike rooms for the format choice.
- Unenclosed (the optional half) is visible, securely anchored racks for shorter stays.
What to send Ground Control Systems for a compliant layout
We do not set your code count. That is the project team’s call with the NYC Department of City Planning, the Department of Buildings, and your code consultant, starting with the use and the dwelling-unit count. What we do is make the layout work once the count is known. Send us:
- The project address and use (residential dwelling-unit count, or community facility floor area and use).
- The floor plan or a program sketch showing where the enclosed room and any racks could go, and the finished ceiling height.
- Whether the project is pursuing LEED, which can set its own bike-parking threshold.
We come back with a bike-room layout, the product mix that fits the floor plate (vertical, two-tier, lockers, floor-mount racks, and scooter racks where relevant), the enclosed-versus-unenclosed split on the plan, and a quote. Reach us at 800-630-7225, info@groundcontrolsystems.com, or the contact page. The Download Center has CAD files and product specifications. For layout and code-support help, see services.
Frequently asked questions
Q: How many bike parking spaces does a New York City apartment building need?
For residential uses above the 10-unit threshold, Section 25-811 requires one enclosed bicycle parking space per two dwelling units. A 120-unit building works out to 60 enclosed spaces, up to half of which may be provided unenclosed. Buildings or building segments with 10 dwelling units or less are exempt. Confirm with the NYC Department of City Planning and Department of Buildings.
Q: What is the difference between enclosed and unenclosed bicycle parking in NYC?
Enclosed spaces are secure and weather-protected: surrounded by a solid enclosure and roofed, in a locked or securely racked area. Unenclosed spaces are visible racks. The base requirement is in enclosed spaces, and up to half may be provided as unenclosed spaces under Section 25-83.
Q: What is the 10-unit threshold?
The bicycle parking requirement is waived for buildings or building segments containing 10 dwelling units or less. An 11-unit building is the first to trigger the requirement.
Q: Does New York City follow a statewide code like California’s CALGreen?
No. New York State has no single statewide bicycle-parking mandate like CALGreen. In New York City, the Zoning Resolution (Section 25-80, with residential amounts in 25-811) sets the counts directly.
Q: Is this legal advice?
No. This is a plain-language overview of how New York City structures its bicycle parking requirements. It is not legal or permit advice and is not a substitute for the current Zoning Resolution text. Confirm specifics with the NYC Department of City Planning, the Department of Buildings, and your project’s code consultant.
Sources
- New York City Zoning Resolution, Article II, Chapter 5, Section 25-80 (Bicycle Parking), Section 25-811 (Enclosed bicycle parking spaces), official NYC Department of City Planning Zoning Resolution: zr.planning.nyc.gov 25-811
- NYC Department of City Planning, Zoning Resolution (full text): zr.planning.nyc.gov Section 25-80 series