Bike Parking
Bicycles may be legally parked on sidewalks and locked at any parking meter, parking sign, or three-legged sign pole. Bicycles should be oriented parallel to the street to avoid blocking the sidewalk. In addition to these undesignated locations, over 450 bicycle racks have been installed throughout the City at shops, schools, restaurants, libraries, pools, and in many business districts. The Bike Maps page in the left nav bar includes a map of bike racks located Downtown, and a city-wide map can be accessed at OKI (click on the "tools" cube and then select bike racks).
Bike Corrals
In March of 2010 DOTE installed the region's first bicycle "corral" on Lingo Street in the bicycle laden Northside neighborhood. Bicycle corrals are grouped bike parking installations placed in an on-street automobile parking space. The Northside corral replaced one on-street automobile parking space with twelve bicycle parking spaces. On-street bicycle parking provides many benefits where bicycle-use is high and growing:
- Businesses: Corrals provide a 12 to 1 customer to parking space ratio and advertise "bike-friendliness."
- Pedestrians: Corrals clear the sidewalks and serve as de facto curb extensions.
- People on bicycles: Corrals increase the visibility of bicycling.
- Motor vehicle drivers: Corrals improve visibility at intersections by eliminating the opportunity for larger vehicles to park at street corners.
- The requirements are applicable to every new parking garage, and for every expansion of an existing parking garage when the expansion includes the provision of sixty or more additional motor vehicle parking spaces.
- One bicycle parking space is required for every twenty automobile spaces, with a maximum of 24 bicycle spaces required.
- Bicycle parking spaces shall be located inside the garage in an area that is protected from inclement weather.
- Prices for bicycle parking will be left up to the market.
Fountain Square Garage
DOTE and 3CDC have partnered together to provide long-term, weather-protected bicycle parking inside of Fountain Square Garage. Twelve racks are available adjacent to the Garage entrance. These parking spaces are free, and can be accessed via the entrance on Vine Street.
Findlay Market
Multiple bike racks are available at the east and west entrances to the market, and at the north and south parking lots.
Bicycle Parking in Garages
As of May 2010, bicycle parking is required in all new or expanded parking garages within the City of Cincinnati. This requirement will help to ensure an adequate supply of long-term bicycle parking, which provides employees, students, residents, commuters and others who generally stay at a site for several hours, a secure and weather-protected place to park bicycles. Highlights of the law include:
The full text of of Cincinnati's bicycle parking regulations are located in Chapter 413, Parking Garages and Parking Lots, of the Cincinnati Municipal Code; and in Chapter 1425, Parking and Loading Regulations, of the Zoning Code of the City of Cincinnati.
A brochure outlining the requirements is available here.
