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Council updates bicycle-parking rules to align with regional TOC grant criteria

Emeryville City Council · January 21, 2026
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Summary

Emeryville shifted bike-parking requirements from a vehicle-parking basis to square-foot and unit-based rules to align with MTC transit-oriented-community grant eligibility; council approved the ordinance amendments unanimously after staff said the city generally exceeds MTC minimums.

The Emeryville City Council approved amendments to local bicycle-parking regulations that convert many nonresidential requirements from a vehicle-based table to an area (square-foot) basis, aligning the city’s code with Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) transit-oriented-community (TOC) grant eligibility criteria.

Planning staff told the council MTC’s TOC policy prioritizes TOC grant eligibility beginning in 2026 and requires certain minimum bicycle-parking standards, including a ratio for office uses based on square footage. Staff said Emeryville currently meets or exceeds the MTC minimums for most uses but needs the code change to make its standards formally comparable and eligible for grants.

"We pretty much kept it the same as is," staff said, adding that rounding was used to simplify conversions and that residential requirements remain unit-based (one secured space per studio/one-bedroom; two for two-bedrooms and larger). BPAC, the Transportation Sustainability Committee and the Planning Commission reviewed the changes and recommended approval.

Public comment included concerns about retrofitting existing buildings and whether the city should pursue programs to help older developments add bicycle parking. Staff said the Active Transportation Plan includes a program to explore assistance for existing developments but that retrofits would require more staff work and time to implement.

Council moved to approve the ordinance and waive further readings under the city’s revised agenda rules; the motion passed by unanimous roll call.