"It will really transform the culture of the city, from a car-oriented city to a bike-oriented city," Planning Commissioner Amanda Burden said.
The Planning Commission will vote on the new rules after a public comment period lasting several months. If approved, the regulations will become part of city zoning law.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg's 2007 blueprint for a more sustainable city included a push for bike use.
Transportation officials are doubling the city's bike lanes and expect to have 420 miles of bike lanes in place by June 2009. They also are installing thousands of on-street bike racks, including some designed by Talking Heads singer and bicycling enthusiast David Byrne.
But surveys show that the lack of secure bicycle parking is a stumbling block preventing New Yorkers from cycling to work or to perform errands.
"We have found that one of the greatest impediments to more biking is the lack of space to store your bike long term at home and at work," Burden said.
Thanks to Jen Houser
Comments
It's called induced demand
"But Mike Slattery, senior vice president of the Real Estate Board of New York, said the real estate industry fears that there may not be enough demand for all the bike parking the regulations would require."
There may not be - now. But the parking will induce people to ride, just like car parking induces people to drive. This Salon article enlists planner Jeffrey Tumlin to explain things.