Towson, Maryland passes law to encourage bike parking at new constructions

July 8, 2013

Towson legislators have passed a law which requires that bike parking be required in new developments in Towson, Baltimore County, Maryland. The legislation includes a formula to calculate the number of bicycle parking spots a building needs to have. The law will come into force beginning July 15, 2013. Paul Hartman, president of the Greater Towson Council of Community Associations, said, “We’re going through an extraordinary period of growth and development in the Towson area, and we need to find ways that we can reduce the single-person-per-car use. By encouraging bicycles, I think that’s a very important step. By having a place that’s safe for folks to lock up a bicycle, you can encourage more people to use them and go to whatever shops or residences are in the area.”

Formula for calculating bike parking spaces

Indoor bike parking. Image by Steven Vance.

The act orders developers of new projects to calculate the number of biking spaces required by multiplying the number of off street parking spaces needed under County Code by .04. If the number is below .5, there is no need to provide bike parking. Otherwise, the number of bike spaces needs to be rounded off to the closest whole number. The act also mentions that the bicycle parking should be in a safe and well-lit space on the property. The design of the bike rack should be in such a way that it does not stick out when compared to the rest of the property.

Downtown set for growth

View this sign here.

Some major new developments are set to arise in Towson. A 101 YORK student housing building, budgeted at $60 million, and the mixed-use property Towson Row, budgeted at $300 million, are slated for construction. Such new developments will only worsen the traffic situation. Councilman David Marks said, “I think most residents in Towson realize we need to push biking, walking and smart transit wherever we can, because there’s very little room to add more roads.” Residents are also in favor of more bicycle parking. Lorber, a Towson resident remarked, “As Towson continues to grow, it becomes even more important to provide choices in transportation so people don’t have to sit in traffic congestion and pay expensive parking fees to come and work, shop and dine in downtown Towson.”