Reviewed against the Portland City Code on June 2, 2026. Portland sets its bicycle parking rules in the Planning and Zoning Code, Title 33, Chapter 33.266, with the required amounts in Section 33.266.200 and Table 266-6. Requirements change and vary by parcel and zone. Always confirm the current code with the Portland Bureau of Development Services at permit time. This is planning guidance, not legal or permit advice.
Short answer
Portland sets bicycle parking minimums in its Zoning Code, Chapter 33.266, and the amounts are in Section 33.266.200 and Table 266-6. For a multifamily building (Household Living, 5 or more units on the site), the current long-term requirement is 1.0 space per unit in Standard A areas and 0.7 space per unit in Standard B areas, plus 1 short-term space per 20 units. Those current ratios run until January 1, 2029, set by Table 266-6 Notes [4] and [5]; the table also lists higher scheduled values (1.5 per unit Standard A, 1.1 per unit Standard B) that take effect after that date unless the code changes. Even at the current 1.0-per-unit Standard A rate, a large building still needs a serious bike room. Which standard applies depends on where the site sits on the City’s Map 266-1. Confirm the standard, the count, and the design rules with the Bureau of Development Services.
Long-term versus short-term in Portland
Portland splits bicycle parking into two jobs (Section 33.266.210). Long-term bicycle parking is in secure, weather-protected facilities (lockers or a locked room) for residents and employees who park for several hours or longer. Short-term bicycle parking is publicly accessible racks near the entrance for visitors and customers parking briefly. Both are required for most uses, and the amounts are set separately in Table 266-6.
This two-tier framework is the same idea as the California cities use; what is specific to Portland is the per-unit ratio set in Table 266-6, the Standard A / Standard B map split, and the design standards below.
What Portland requires for multifamily
For Household Living uses with 5 or more units on the site, the minimums come from Table 266-6 (Section 33.266.200). The current effective long-term ratio comes from Table 266-6 Notes [4] and [5]:
| Household Living, 5 or more units on site | Long-term (Standard A) | Long-term (Standard B) | Short-term (both) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current effective rate (until January 1, 2029) | 1.0 space per unit | 0.7 space per unit | 2, or 1 per 20 units |
| Table value, scheduled after January 1, 2029 | 2, or 1.5 per unit | 2, or 1.1 per unit | 2, or 1 per 20 units |
Source: Portland City Code Table 266-6. The table lists Household Living, 5 or more units, at “2, or 1.5 per unit” in Standard A and “2, or 1.1 per unit” in Standard B, but Notes [4] and [5] lower the applied count: “Standard A for development that includes a Household Living use is 1.0 space per unit until January 1, 2029” and “Standard B… is 0.7 space per unit until January 1, 2029.” So the per-unit numbers above are today’s effective counts; the higher table values are scheduled to apply after January 1, 2029 unless the code changes. Per the table’s Note [1], where two numbers are shown (“2, or 1.5 per unit”), the larger number applies, so for any building past a couple of units the per-unit ratio governs. One- and two-unit Household Living uses are not listed and require no bicycle parking. The current posted PDF lists the residential rows as Household Living (5 or more units), Group Living, Units with restricted tenancy, and Dormitory.
Standard A versus Standard B
Table 266-6 gives two columns. Per Section 33.266.200.B.1, “Standard A in Table 266-6 applies to the areas shown as Standard A on Map 266-1. Standard B in Table 266-6 applies to all other areas of the city.” Standard A is the higher requirement and covers the closer-in, higher-bicycle-demand parts of the city; Standard B covers the rest. Pull your site’s standard from Map 266-1 before sizing the room.
What Portland requires for commercial uses
Commercial ratios in Table 266-6 are by net building area (a sample, Standard A figures shown; the larger of the two numbers applies):
| Use | Long-term (Standard A) | Short-term (Standard A) |
|---|---|---|
| Office | 2, or 1 per 1,800 sq ft of net building area | 2, or 1 per 20,000 sq ft |
| Retail Sales and Services | 2, or 1 per 3,800 sq ft | 2, or 1 per 2,700 sq ft |
| Restaurant and Bar | 2, or 1 per 2,300 sq ft | 2, or 1 per 1,000 sq ft |
Source: Table 266-6. Standard B figures are lower (for example, Office long-term is “2, or 1 per 3,500 sq ft” in Standard B). Pull the exact row and standard for the specific use.
Design standards Portland writes into the code
Section 33.266.210 sets the standards that decide whether the room or rack run counts. The key ones for long-term parking:
- Coverage. All long-term bicycle parking must be covered. Where the covered parking is not within a building or locker, the cover must be permanent, impervious, and project at least 2 feet beyond the spaces on any portion of the structure that is not enclosed by a wall.
- Location. Long-term parking can sit in one or more of these locations: within a building outside of dwelling units, within dwelling units, on-site (including in parking areas and structured parking), or in an area whose closest point is within 300 feet of the site. For larger residential development, up to 50 percent of the required long-term spaces may be provided within dwelling units; sites with 12 or fewer dwelling units may provide up to 100 percent within dwelling units. In either case, only two spaces per dwelling unit count toward the required long-term total.
- Security. It must be in lockers or racks in a secure location (a locked room, a fenced and gated area, a monitored area, or similar).
For short-term parking, the code generally requires it within 50 feet of the main entrance. For a simple building with one main entrance, the spaces must be within 50 feet of that entrance as measured along the most direct pedestrian route. The code has separate, more detailed language for buildings with multiple main entrances and for campuses.
What the multifamily number looks like in practice
Take a 120-unit apartment building (Household Living, 5 or more units). Using the current effective ratios that run until January 1, 2029:
- In a Standard A area: long-term is 1.0 per unit, so 120 x 1.0 = 120 long-term spaces; short-term is 1 per 20 units, so 120 / 20 = 6 short-term spaces. That is 126 bicycle spaces, with 120 in secure, covered, long-term storage.
- In a Standard B area: long-term is 0.7 per unit, so 120 x 0.7 = 84 long-term spaces; short-term is still 6.
After January 1, 2029, the scheduled Table 266-6 values (1.5 per unit in Standard A, 1.1 per unit in Standard B) would raise that same building to 180 long-term in Standard A and 132 long-term in Standard B, again plus 6 short-term, if the code stays as written. Either way, a long-term room of this size is a serious amount of secure parking. At that scale the layout almost always means high-density racks (two-tier and vertical), which is exactly where the rack mix matters. Confirm your Standard (A or B) on Map 266-1 first, because it swings the count by roughly a third.
How Portland relates to Oregon and the California cities
Oregon has no single statewide bicycle-parking mandate equivalent to California’s CALGreen; in Portland, Chapter 33.266 is the governing code and sets the counts directly. Portland’s current Standard A long-term ratio (1.0 space per unit until January 1, 2029) lands close to San Francisco, which uses roughly one Class 1 (secure long-term) space per dwelling unit plus one Class 2 space per 20 units. For a 120-unit building, San Francisco steps down above 100 units and works out to about 105 Class 1 spaces plus 6 Class 2; Portland Standard A at 1.0 per unit comes to 120 long-term plus 6 short-term, so Portland is somewhat higher than San Francisco for that example, though not dramatically. Portland’s scheduled post-2029 table value of 1.5 per unit would widen that gap if it takes effect. If you work across the West Coast, 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 Portland building
- Long-term is the secure, covered, locked storage: a ground-floor or garage-level bike room within 300 feet of the site, built from high-density long-term bike room layouts using two-tier (Double Docker) and vertical (Offset) racks. At Portland’s per-unit Standard A ratio, the density tradeoff matters: see vertical vs two-tier bike parking and the two-tier ceiling-height requirements, plus bike lockers vs bike rooms for the format choice.
- Short-term is visible bike racks within 50 feet of the main entrance for visitors.
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 Bureau of Development Services and your code consultant, starting with the use, the unit count, and your Standard A or B designation. What we do is make the layout work once the count is known. Send us:
- The project address and use (residential unit count, or commercial floor area and use), plus the site’s Standard A or B designation from Map 266-1.
- The floor plan or a program sketch showing where a bike room or rack zone 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 long-term and short-term 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 Portland apartment building need?
For Household Living with 5 or more units, the current effective long-term requirement (Table 266-6 Notes [4] and [5], in force until January 1, 2029) is 1.0 space per unit in Standard A areas and 0.7 per unit in Standard B, plus one short-term space per 20 units. A 120-unit building works out to about 120 long-term and 6 short-term spaces in a Standard A area (84 long-term in Standard B). The table lists higher values (1.5 and 1.1 per unit) scheduled to apply after January 1, 2029 unless the code changes. Check your Standard on Map 266-1 with the Bureau of Development Services.
Q: What is the difference between long-term and short-term bicycle parking in Portland?
Long-term (Section 33.266.210) is secure, weather-protected storage (lockers or a locked room) for residents and employees; all of it must be covered. Short-term is publicly accessible racks within 50 feet of the main entrance for visitors. Most projects need both.
Q: What is the difference between Standard A and Standard B?
They are the two columns in Table 266-6. Standard A (the higher requirement) applies to the areas shown as Standard A on the City’s Map 266-1; Standard B applies to all other areas of the city. For multifamily, the current effective long-term rate is 1.0 space per unit in Standard A and 0.7 in Standard B until January 1, 2029, after which the listed table values (1.5 and 1.1 per unit) are scheduled to apply unless the code changes.
Q: Does Portland follow a statewide code like California’s CALGreen?
No. Oregon has no single statewide bicycle-parking mandate like CALGreen. In Portland, the Zoning Code Chapter 33.266 sets the counts directly, and they are generally higher than the California city minimums.
Q: Is this legal advice?
No. This is a plain-language overview of how Portland structures its bicycle parking requirements. It is not legal or permit advice and is not a substitute for the current code text. Confirm specifics with the Portland Bureau of Development Services and your project’s code consultant.
Sources
- Portland City Code, Title 33 Planning and Zoning, Chapter 33.266 (current City of Portland code PDF linked on the chapter landing page), Section 33.266.200 and Table 266-6 (the bicycle parking ratios), Section 33.266.210 (development standards): portland.gov/code/33/200s/266 (current chapter PDF: 266-parking_3.pdf, footer dated 1/1/25; the landing page also lists later update packets, for example Update Packet #216 effective March 1, 2026)
- City of Portland, Bicycle Parking overview (Bureau of Development Services / zoning): portland.gov bicycle parking