Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In
Bicycling

City Hall Wants Council Members to Beef Up “Bikes in Buildings” Bills

No matter how well you lock up your bike in NYC, if you leave it outside for any significant amount of time, you never know what will be left when you get back. For secure storage, nothing beats a spot inside. But thanks to a bizarre aversion to bicycles shared by many landlords and property managers, a large percentage of NYC buildings are de facto bike-free zones.

folding_bike_demo
Folding bikes are no bulkier than rolling luggage -- and they're fine in City Council chambers -- so how come a lot of building managers don't allow them in elevators? Photo: @juliakite
Folding bikes are now permitted in

In 2009, the Bicycle Access to Buildings Law started to chip away at these restrictions by creating a legal mechanism for employees to win bicycle access to their workplaces. That law had its limitations, though, like a loophole that compelled some bike commuters to leave their ride at the office if the freight elevator was shut down for the day. This session, three bills have been introduced in the City Council to expand the guarantee of bike access to buildings.

The bills appear to have a clear path forward, judging by a hearing on all three in the Housing and Buildings Committee yesterday. A representative from NYC DOT commended the legislation and wants the sponsors to strengthen their proposals, signaling City Hall's general approval of the new bills.

One problem with the 2009 law is that even if a tenant successfully petitions for bike access to a building, there is no full guarantee. Building owners can deny access to passenger elevators entirely, and while access to freight elevators is required during operating hours, it's common for buildings to cease operating their freight elevators long before most workers head home for the day. In a DOT survey of 209 tenants who had applied for bike access to their buildings, many said that limitations on freight elevator access were a significant hindrance, according to testimony delivered yesterday by DOT's Michelle Craven.

Intro 795, sponsored by Jumaane Williams, who chairs the committee, would allow people to exit buildings using the passenger elevator when freight elevators are not in service. Craven suggested that the bill could go farther by extending passenger elevator access to employees who arrive at the building when the freight elevator is out. And TA Executive Director Paul Steely White said the bill could be strengthened by creating an enforcement mechanism to penalize buildings that fail to grant access, and by clarifying that any building without a freight elevator must provide bike access via the passenger elevator.

Another bill, Intro 405, sponsored by Helen Rosenthal, would guarantee access to passenger elevators to people with folding bikes, another measure that DOT's Craven said the agency supports. Discussion of this bill included what has to be the first live demo of a folding bike in City Council chambers, courtesy of Families for Safe Streets' Dulcie Canton.

The third bill, Ydanis Rodriguez's Intro 695, extends the guarantee of bike access to residential elevators, a goal that DOT also said it supports.

Next up: Sponsors will adjust their legislation before the bills come up for a vote, which has yet to be scheduled.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

‘Outrage’: Pols — And Even DOT Boss — Protest Trump’s Block on 34th St. Busway

A huge rally in Midtown to urge President Trump to get his meathooks off our transit included DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez, who is poised to capitulate.

October 20, 2025

Monday’s Headlines: Uncharted Territory Edition

"No Kings" means hands off our busway. Plus the news.

October 20, 2025

More Tantrums: City Halts 34th Street Busway After Threat from Trump DOT

The feds threatened to cut city and state funding if New York doesn't halt all work on the 34th Street busway so the FHWA can review the project.

October 17, 2025

READY, AIM, ‘MISFIRE’: NYPD’s Bike Speed-Limit Effort Only Adds Confusion in Central Park

Two slowly ambling pedestrians were clocked at 19 miles per hour. So what's the point of this, exactly?

October 17, 2025

Friday Video: Drool Over This London School Street

That's cricket! Check out how London transformed a roadway around a big stadium into a play street.

October 17, 2025

Friday’s Headlines: Queen James Edition

State Attorney General Letitia James gave our national security desk reporters Dave Colon and David Meyer the ultimate hat tip. Plus other news.

October 17, 2025
See all posts