Retail, entertainment and business destinations frequented by visitors, shoppers and messengers are best served by well-made, well-situated outdoor racks, located in busy public places where thieves cannot work unobserved. There are more than 6,000 bike racks on New York City streets, with plans to add 5,000 more over the next three years. Still, there is only one bike rack for every 31 cyclists, necessitating the use of parking meters, street signs and other out-of-the way street fixtures to make up the difference.

You can request a bike rack by calling 311, but the most effective route is to work with your local community board to develop a comprehensive on-street bike parking plan for the whole neighborhood, enabling the DOT to install dozens of racks at once. Contact bike[at]transalt[org] for tips on engaging your community board to tackle this problem.

A guide to the dos and don'ts of on street bike parking is available on the Biking Rules website: bikingrules.org/biking/parking

To learn more about the need for more on-street bike racks, see T.A.'s report: Improving Outdoor Bike Parking and Policy in New York City (PDF)