• Clearly labeled
• Accessible by a convenient ramp
• Located as close to the building entrance and shower facilities as possible
• Sheltered from the elements
• Located where there are people or security personnel or in a locked room 
• Well lit
• Sufficiently separated or protected from automobile parking to prevent damage to parked bicycles by cars

While planning the relocation of its headquarters office, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency made sure to ask for bike facilities. EPA bike commuters worked with the architects and GSA to design a state of the art bike room with space for 100 bikes as well as locker rooms with showers.

Bicycle Lockers

Lockers are generally the most secure and weatherproof bicycle storage devices. Prices range from $1,000 to $2,500 per bike, including installation. Materials range from molded plastic to metal to particle board. In areas of high humidity and where the lockers are exposed to rain and moisture, low priced particle board lockers will not last. Lockers have significant disadvantages, however. Conventional assigned bike lockers are not efficient users of space compared to bike racks and cages. Since not every bicycle commuter will ride every day, assigned lockers are usually under-used on any given day. Lockers are not usually recommended for indoor or garage use.

In a poll of participants in the 2002 Bike to Work Day event in the Washington region, 27% of respondents cited lack of showers, lockers, and/or secure bike parking at work as the main obstacle to biking to work.

Racks

• No bicycle rack alone provides the security and protection from the elements as well as a bicycle locker. However, locating a rack in a covered, locked compound or storage room can provide excellent security.
• Some racks allow you to store bikes vertically to save space.  Racks in an unsecured area should be highly visible.
• In a staffed parking garage, racks alone often provide sufficient security.
• Racks should allow a U-Lock to be used to secure the bicycle frame and wheel to the rack. Racks cost between $50 and $200 per bike.
• Even if you provide long-term bicycle parking such as bike lockers or cages, racks should be provided near the entrance for visitors, couriers, and employees who wish to bicycle to the worksite occasionally.

Shelter

Most bicyclists are not willing to leave a good bicycle exposed to the elements. Covering racks with a simple shelter or locating them under an existing covered area can increase the number of days employees will bike to work.

Bike Rooms and Cages

Usually located in the basement or on the ground floor, a special room for bicycle parking can be secure and convenient. A bike cage is a fenced off area in a parking garage. By installing a key or combination lock to access the cage or room, only those who bike to work will have access. Lockers can be included to store helmets and other cycling gear. Rooms and cages provide more security than racks alone and usually cost less than lockers. Since parking spaces inside the cage are typically not reserved, far more people can be served in a given amount of space than with individual, reserved lockers.

Guidelines For The Correct Number Of Parking Facilities

Surveying your employees, formally or informally, will help determine the amount of parking your firm will need. Also, some communities have ordinances governing the number of bicycle parking spaces employers must provide. In the District of Columbia, 5% of all off street office and commercial parking spaces must be for bikes.

Arlington Bicycle Parking Guidelines

• One employee space for every 7500 square feet.
• One visitor space for 20,000 square feet.
• Two customer spaces for every 10,000 square feet of retail.
• One shower per gender for every 50,000 square feet.

3. Provide Showers and Changing Facilities

Showers
Some employees will not consider biking to work without the assurance that they can shower when they arrive. Showers also allow employees to exercise at lunch. In buildings with 50-100 employees, one shower should be sufficient. In buildings with 100- 250 employees, one shower for each sex should be provided. Buildings housing over 250 employees should provide at least four showers with two of them being accessible to the disabled. The accompanying table shows typical shower installation costs.

4. Provide Incentives

The primary incentives to encourage bicycling and walking to work are showers, lockers and secure bicycle parking. Here are some others:

• Recognize bicyclists at company-wide functions with certificates or T-shirts emphasizing bicyclists environmental or health awareness.
• Offer flex-time schedules. Make it possible for bicycle commuters to arrange their work schedules to avoid peak-hour traffic congestion and darkness or to take bikes on Metrorail.
• Permit a more relaxed dress code on specified days.
• Provide a company-owned pool of bicycles for short business trips, errands, and recreation.
• Allow an occasional 15 minute grace period for bicyclists who experience a breakdown or similar incident which causes them to arrive at work late.
• Award points to employees for bicycling to work. These points can accumulate and be redeemed for cash or prizes.
• Offer financial help to purchase a bicycle or accessories.
• Give cash to bicyclists for part or all of the parking spaces they do not use if your business subsidizes parking. (See Parking Cashout, page Employer-9)
• Reimburse employees for local business travel by bike (The City of Palo Alto, California pays their employees 7 cents per mile for approved travel on City business).
• Allow bicycle commuters time to shower or freshen-up.
• Tell employees about COG's Guaranteed Ride Home program.

Guaranteed Ride Home Program

Provides emergency rides home to people who bicycle or take other alternative transportation to work.

To sign up, call 1-800-745-RIDE or click here

According to the 2004 Commuter Connections State of the Commute Survey, 17% of all commutes in the Washington region are less than five miles. Even more commuters live within biking distance of a transit station.

When constructing its new offices across from the Ballston Metro station, Qwest Communications included bike racks in the parking garage as well as showers and lockers for cyclists and others.

“Supporting bike commuting is one more way to attract and retain quality employees in a competive high-tech labor market.” -John McGuire, Qwest Communications