Park a bike

It's important to know the bike parking rules.

Rules for parking bicycles

What to know

Lock your bicycle in a legal location using a secure lock. The City removes abandoned and illegally parked bikes.

Learn more

Bike parking rules

Where you can park or lock a bike

Parking bike at bike rack

Acceptable places to park and lock a bike

  • Any public bike rack
  • Public bike parking
    • Public Bike racks
    • Parking meter hitches
  • Most city street signs (except when doing so would block the sidewalk or intersection)
  • Bike lockers
  • Other designated bike parking locations

 

Unacceptable ways to park and lock a bike

  • Trees
  • Handrails
  • Streetlights
  • Anything that blocks the sidewalk or an intersection

(Minneapolis Ordinance § 490.150)

 

More places not to park

Do not park at

  • Pedestrian ramps
  • Building/property entrances
  • Driveways
  • Loading zones
  • Crosswalks
  • Parklets
  • Street/sidewalk cafes
  • Traffic signal or street light poles
  • Fire hydrants
  • Street furnishings (benches, trees or other right of way plantings, etc.)
  • Underground utility, sewer or water facilities
  • Sidewalk clear zones

 

Safety and disabled access features

  • Disability parking and transfer zones
  • Curb ramps
  • Wheelchair ramps
  • Ramp landings
  • Handrails
  • Areas of refuge
  • Detectable warning surfaces

 

 

Transit stops and facilities

  • Stations
  • Shelters
  • Passenger waiting areas
  • Bus layover and staging zones

Parking near transit

People boarding a Metro Transit bus on Nicollet Ave

Do

  • Keep light rail platform boarding areas clear of bikes
  • Park your bike away from bus boarding areas
  • park your bike away from corners near neighborhood bus stops

Do not

  • Block transit boarding areas when parking your bike
  • Lock a bike to a bus stop sign or any transit station elements

Avoid the clear zone

Sidewalk clear zones

  • A sidewalk clear zone is an accessible main pedestrian path that runs alongside the street

  • The clear zone means there must be at least 4 feet of clear sidewalk space for everyone

  • The clear zone ensures that pedestrians have a safe, obstruction-free path

Bike clear zone

Do not ride or park bikes in the clear zone. This helps keep those walking and rolling safe.

Woman walking down sidewalk

Bike lockers

Using bike lockers

Bicycle lockers protect your bicycle from weather and help secure your bicycle from theft.

Where to find bike lockers

  • The City of Minneapolis has lockers stationed throughout downtown.
  • The University of Minnesota offers lockers.
  • Metro Transit stations and transit centers offer locker.

More bike locker information

Abandoned bicycles

When we remove unlocked bikes

We'll remove unlocked abandoned bicycles upon request.

When we remove locked bikes

We'll tag locked abandoned bicycles 24 hours before removal.

When we remove illegally parked bikes

We remove bicycles locked in illegal locations right away.

Bike racks for businesses

Businesses and public places can apply to have bike racks added to their property.
Learn more

Contact us

Minneapolis 311

Email Minneapolis 311

Phone

311 or 612-673-3000

TTY

612-263-6850

Hours

7 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Monday – Friday

See list of City holidays