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LEED v4
New Construction
Location & Transportation
Bicycle facilities

LEED CREDIT

NC-v4 LTc6: Bicycle facilities 1 point

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View the LEED v4.1 version of this credit »

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Requirements

Bicycle network
Design or locate the project such that a functional entry and/or bicycle storage is within a 200-yard (180-meter) walking distance or bicycling distance from a bicycle network that connects to at least one of the following:
  • at least 10 diverse uses (see Appendix 1);
  • a school or employment center, if the project total floor area is 50% or more residential; or
  • a bus rapid transit stop, light or heavy rail station, commuter rail station, or ferry terminal.
All destinations must be within a 3-mile (4800-meter) bicycling distance of the project boundary. Planned bicycle trails or lanes may be counted if they are fully funded by the date of the certificate of occupancy and are scheduled for completion within one year of that date.
Bicycle Storage and Shower Rooms
Case 1. commercial or institutional projects
Provide short-term bicycle storage for at least 2.5% of all peak visitors, but no fewer than four storage spaces per building. Provide long-term bicycle storage for at least 5% of all regular building occupants, but no fewer than four storage spaces per building in addition to the short-term bicycle storage spaces. Provide at least one on-site shower with changing facility for the first 100 regular building occupants and one additional shower for every 150 regular building occupants thereafter.
Case 2. residential projects
Provide short-term bicycle storage for at least 2.5% of all peak visitors but no fewer than four storage spaces per building. Provide long-term bicycle storage for at least 30% of all regular building occupants, but no less than one storage space per residential unit in addition to the short-term bicycle storage spaces.
Case 3. mixed-use projects
Meet the Case 1 and Case 2 storage requirements for the nonresidential and residential portions of the project, respectively.
For all projects
Short-term bicycle storage must be within 100 feet (30 meters) walking distance of any main entrance. Long-term bicycle storage must be within 100 feet (30 meters) walking distance of any functional entry. Bicycle storage capacity may not be double-counted: storage that is fully allocated to the occupants of non-project facilities cannot also serve project occupants. Core & Shell projects should refer to Appendix 2, Default Occupancy Counts, for occupancy count requirements and guidance.

Alternative Compliance Paths (ACPs)

Europe ACP: Bike Path Width
If the requirements on the width of bike paths cannot be met due to the historic urban context of the project site, compensating measures to reduce street speeds and/or to enhance biking security on routes connecting to a qualifying bike network are acceptable:
  • A security lane for biking (marked dedicated bike lane, which can be shared by cars in narrow sections of the street when no bikes are present) or a physically dedicated bike lane less than 5 feet (1.5 meters) wide
  • Intersections spaced no more than 400 feet (122 meters) apart
  • Travel lane widths no greater than 10 feet (3 meters) and parallel parking lane widths no greater than 8 feet (2.4 meters)
Routes that meet the alternative requirements outlined above must be clearly identified by type within the required documentation. See all forum discussions about this credit »

What does it cost?

Cost estimates for this credit

On each BD+C v4 credit, LEEDuser offers the wisdom of a team of architects, engineers, cost estimators, and LEED experts with hundreds of LEED projects between then. They analyzed the sustainable design strategies associated with each LEED credit, but also to assign actual costs to those strategies.

Our tab contains overall cost guidance, notes on what “soft costs” to expect, and a strategy-by-strategy breakdown of what to consider and what it might cost, in percentage premiums, actual costs, or both.

This information is also available in a full PDF download in The Cost of LEED v4 report.

Learn more about The Cost of LEED v4 »

Frequently asked questions

What is length of stay is considered ‘short-term’ vs. ‘long-term’?

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If the building is listed in Appendix 2 Default occupancy codes with zero transients, does that mean we don’t have to provide any short-term bike spaces?

The answer to this question is available to LEEDuser premium members. Start a free trial »

(If you're already a premium member, log in here.)

Regarding the requirement to provide shower facilities on commercial and institutional projects, what counts as “on-site”?

The answer to this question is available to LEEDuser premium members. Start a free trial »

(If you're already a premium member, log in here.)

Can double-stacked bike storage racks comply with this credit?

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(If you're already a premium member, log in here.)
See all forum discussions about this credit »

Addenda

4/6/2018 – Updated: 11/6/2020
Reference Guide Correction
Description of change:
Add an International Tips section that reads:

"Bike Path Width
European projects located in historic urban centers may be exempted from bike path width requirements on routes where the requirements cannot be met due to space constraints. Additionally, the bicycle network definition is expanded to include additional criteria on these routes."

Europe ACP added to Requirements section:
"Europe ACP: Bike Path Width
If the requirements on the width of bike paths cannot be met due to the historic ur-ban context of the project site, compensating measures to reduce street speeds and/or to enhance biking security on routes connecting to a qualifying bike network are acceptable:

• A security lane for biking (marked dedicated bike lane, which can be shared by cars in narrow sections of the street when no bikes are present) or a physically dedicated bike lane less than 5 feet (1.5 meters) wide.
• Intersections spaced no more than 400 feet (122 meters) apart
• Travel lane widths no greater than 10 feet (3 meters) and parallel parking lane widths no greater than 8 feet (2.4 meters)

Routes that meet the alternative requirements outlined above must be clearly iden-tified by type within the required documentation."
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
No
4/6/2018 – Updated: 11/6/2020
Regional ACP
Description of change:
Add an International Tips section that reads:

"Bike Path Width
European projects located in historic urban centers may be exempted from bike path width requirements on routes where the requirements cannot be met due to space constraints. Additionally, the bicycle network definition is expanded to include additional criteria on these routes."

Europe ACP added to Requirements section:
"Europe ACP: Bike Path Width
If the requirements on the width of bike paths cannot be met due to the historic ur-ban context of the project site, compensating measures to reduce street speeds and/or to enhance biking security on routes connecting to a qualifying bike network are acceptable:

• A security lane for biking (marked dedicated bike lane, which can be shared by cars in narrow sections of the street when no bikes are present) or a physically dedicated bike lane less than 5 feet (1.5 meters) wide.
• Intersections spaced no more than 400 feet (122 meters) apart
• Travel lane widths no greater than 10 feet (3 meters) and parallel parking lane widths no greater than 8 feet (2.4 meters)

Routes that meet the alternative requirements outlined above must be clearly iden-tified by type within the required documentation."
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
No
See all forum discussions about this credit »

Documentation toolkit

The motherlode of cheat sheets

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LEEDuser expert

headshot

Marilyn Specht

Introba
Vice President & Managing Principal, US Sustainability

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© Copyright U.S. Green Building Council, Inc. All rights reserved.

Requirements

Bicycle network
Design or locate the project such that a functional entry and/or bicycle storage is within a 200-yard (180-meter) walking distance or bicycling distance from a bicycle network that connects to at least one of the following:
  • at least 10 diverse uses (see Appendix 1);
  • a school or employment center, if the project total floor area is 50% or more residential; or
  • a bus rapid transit stop, light or heavy rail station, commuter rail station, or ferry terminal.
All destinations must be within a 3-mile (4800-meter) bicycling distance of the project boundary. Planned bicycle trails or lanes may be counted if they are fully funded by the date of the certificate of occupancy and are scheduled for completion within one year of that date.
Bicycle Storage and Shower Rooms
Case 1. commercial or institutional projects
Provide short-term bicycle storage for at least 2.5% of all peak visitors, but no fewer than four storage spaces per building. Provide long-term bicycle storage for at least 5% of all regular building occupants, but no fewer than four storage spaces per building in addition to the short-term bicycle storage spaces. Provide at least one on-site shower with changing facility for the first 100 regular building occupants and one additional shower for every 150 regular building occupants thereafter.
Case 2. residential projects
Provide short-term bicycle storage for at least 2.5% of all peak visitors but no fewer than four storage spaces per building. Provide long-term bicycle storage for at least 30% of all regular building occupants, but no less than one storage space per residential unit in addition to the short-term bicycle storage spaces.
Case 3. mixed-use projects
Meet the Case 1 and Case 2 storage requirements for the nonresidential and residential portions of the project, respectively.
For all projects
Short-term bicycle storage must be within 100 feet (30 meters) walking distance of any main entrance. Long-term bicycle storage must be within 100 feet (30 meters) walking distance of any functional entry. Bicycle storage capacity may not be double-counted: storage that is fully allocated to the occupants of non-project facilities cannot also serve project occupants. Core & Shell projects should refer to Appendix 2, Default Occupancy Counts, for occupancy count requirements and guidance.

Alternative Compliance Paths (ACPs)

Europe ACP: Bike Path Width
If the requirements on the width of bike paths cannot be met due to the historic urban context of the project site, compensating measures to reduce street speeds and/or to enhance biking security on routes connecting to a qualifying bike network are acceptable:
  • A security lane for biking (marked dedicated bike lane, which can be shared by cars in narrow sections of the street when no bikes are present) or a physically dedicated bike lane less than 5 feet (1.5 meters) wide
  • Intersections spaced no more than 400 feet (122 meters) apart
  • Travel lane widths no greater than 10 feet (3 meters) and parallel parking lane widths no greater than 8 feet (2.4 meters)
Routes that meet the alternative requirements outlined above must be clearly identified by type within the required documentation.

Cost estimates for this credit

On each BD+C v4 credit, LEEDuser offers the wisdom of a team of architects, engineers, cost estimators, and LEED experts with hundreds of LEED projects between then. They analyzed the sustainable design strategies associated with each LEED credit, but also to assign actual costs to those strategies.

Our tab contains overall cost guidance, notes on what “soft costs” to expect, and a strategy-by-strategy breakdown of what to consider and what it might cost, in percentage premiums, actual costs, or both.

This information is also available in a full PDF download in The Cost of LEED v4 report.

Learn more about The Cost of LEED v4 »

In the end, LEED is all about documentation. LEEDuser’s Documentation Toolkit, for premium members only, saves you time and helps you avoid mistakes with:

  • Calculators to help assess credit compliance.
  • Tracking spreadsheets for materials purchases.
  • Spreadsheets and forms to give to subs and other team members.
  • Guidance documents on arcane LEED issues.
  • Sample templates to help guide your narratives and LEED Online submissions.
  • Examples of actual submissions from certified LEED projects.

What is length of stay is considered ‘short-term’ vs. ‘long-term’?

The answer to this question is available to LEEDuser premium members. Start a free trial »

(If you're already a premium member, log in here.)

If the building is listed in Appendix 2 Default occupancy codes with zero transients, does that mean we don’t have to provide any short-term bike spaces?

The answer to this question is available to LEEDuser premium members. Start a free trial »

(If you're already a premium member, log in here.)

Regarding the requirement to provide shower facilities on commercial and institutional projects, what counts as “on-site”?

The answer to this question is available to LEEDuser premium members. Start a free trial »

(If you're already a premium member, log in here.)

Can double-stacked bike storage racks comply with this credit?

The answer to this question is available to LEEDuser premium members. Start a free trial »

(If you're already a premium member, log in here.)
4/6/2018 – Updated: 11/6/2020
Reference Guide Correction
Description of change:
Add an International Tips section that reads:

"Bike Path Width
European projects located in historic urban centers may be exempted from bike path width requirements on routes where the requirements cannot be met due to space constraints. Additionally, the bicycle network definition is expanded to include additional criteria on these routes."

Europe ACP added to Requirements section:
"Europe ACP: Bike Path Width
If the requirements on the width of bike paths cannot be met due to the historic ur-ban context of the project site, compensating measures to reduce street speeds and/or to enhance biking security on routes connecting to a qualifying bike network are acceptable:

• A security lane for biking (marked dedicated bike lane, which can be shared by cars in narrow sections of the street when no bikes are present) or a physically dedicated bike lane less than 5 feet (1.5 meters) wide.
• Intersections spaced no more than 400 feet (122 meters) apart
• Travel lane widths no greater than 10 feet (3 meters) and parallel parking lane widths no greater than 8 feet (2.4 meters)

Routes that meet the alternative requirements outlined above must be clearly iden-tified by type within the required documentation."
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
No
4/6/2018 – Updated: 11/6/2020
Regional ACP
Description of change:
Add an International Tips section that reads:

"Bike Path Width
European projects located in historic urban centers may be exempted from bike path width requirements on routes where the requirements cannot be met due to space constraints. Additionally, the bicycle network definition is expanded to include additional criteria on these routes."

Europe ACP added to Requirements section:
"Europe ACP: Bike Path Width
If the requirements on the width of bike paths cannot be met due to the historic ur-ban context of the project site, compensating measures to reduce street speeds and/or to enhance biking security on routes connecting to a qualifying bike network are acceptable:

• A security lane for biking (marked dedicated bike lane, which can be shared by cars in narrow sections of the street when no bikes are present) or a physically dedicated bike lane less than 5 feet (1.5 meters) wide.
• Intersections spaced no more than 400 feet (122 meters) apart
• Travel lane widths no greater than 10 feet (3 meters) and parallel parking lane widths no greater than 8 feet (2.4 meters)

Routes that meet the alternative requirements outlined above must be clearly iden-tified by type within the required documentation."
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
No

LEEDuser expert

headshot

Marilyn Specht

Introba
Vice President & Managing Principal, US Sustainability

See all LEEDuser forum discussions about this credit » Subscribe to new discussions about NC-v4 LTc6 View the LEED v4.1 version of this credit