Bicycling in Rockville
The City of Rockville provides a mix of bicycle parking facilities to accommodate the needs of bicyclists. Cyclists must have safe and secure parking available at likely destination points for the Rockville Bikeway Network to be used to its full potential. The potential of bicycle theft is a significant deterrent to bicycling. Bicycle parking (or the lack of) can make the difference between a trip that is taken by bicycle and one that is not.
The location of bicycle parking facilities is an important element of creating an effective bicycle parking system. Facilities should be located with the user in mind. Bicyclists, more than motorists and pedestrians, enjoy a freedom of mobility that allows them to travel within feet of their final destination. Facility site location should consider this element heavily. Bicyclists will find another option to secure their bicycles if the provisions provided are not near the final destination.
Bike racks that are placed close to building entrances and are visible to many people offer adequate security for short-term parking, while lockers are provided in other locations for long-term storage. Standard bike racks support the bike by its frame and allow for the use of various types of locks. This type of bicycle parking generally serves the needs of short-term users, such as shoppers and college students. Bicycle lockers not only provide protection for the bike from theft, but also provide protection from the elements and a security for the bicycle’s components, lights, and other gear. Lockers are used by commuters and other bicyclists for long-term parking.
A proven method to increase the amount of bicycle parking in a City is the adoption of or amendment to local ordinances and/or building codes to require bike parking with new developments. The City has discussed this issue as part of the development of the Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance.
Montgomery County has a bicycle parking ordinance. Montgomery County’s Zoning Ordinance 59-E2.3 Standards for Bicycle and Motorcycle Parking require:
- All (owners of) parking facilities containing more than [50] fifty parking spaces shall provide one bicycle parking space or locker for each twenty automobile parking spaces in the facility. Not more than twenty bicycle parking stalls or lockers shall be required [on] in any one [lot] facility.
- Bicycle parking facilities shall be so located as to be safe from motor vehicle traffic and secure from theft. Interior storage and lockers are encouraged. They shall be properly repaired and maintained. Facilities that are used for overnight parking must be protected from the weather, when they are part of an enclosed parking facility.
