City Planning clarifies bike parking rules and permitting

The City of Pittsburgh Department of City Planning just released their bike parking guidelines and permit applications on their website.

This is great news, making it easier for business owners to request a bike rack, or install their own bike racks in the public right of way on their own as well as streamline the process for making bike corral requests. For instance, if you are a business owner, and you want to buy and install your own bike rack on the sidewalk in front of your business, previously it was a fairly unclear application and permitting process. Add to that, it was unclear as to what was an approved city bike rack design and what the rules were for maintenance.

The new document clearly lays out the process.

1. Applicant submits a completed bicycle rack application to City Planning.

2. The Department of City Planning and the Department of Public Works review the application with special attention to bicycle rack selection, mounting hardware, sidewalk material, and site plan.

3. Upon approval, the applicant stencils the exact locations of the proposed rack(s) and Department of City Planning staff perform a site visit.

4. If there are no necessary changes, the Department of City Planning issues an install permit and a notice to proceed.

5. Applicant installs the rack and submits photos of installed rack to Department of City Planning staff, who issue a formal acceptance of the bicycle rack and commit to maintaining it.

On top of that, there is a new bike corral application, available online for the first time. Building and business owners can now download the instructions, requirements, and application for putting bike parking in an on-street parking space in front of their establishment.

Additionally, the new document gives developers direction on the best practices and the rules for bicycle parking as they are designing their buildings.

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