several racks full of bikes on the University of Ottawa campus

Bicycle Rack Infrastructure Report 2022

The University of Ottawa is hoping to become a sustainable transportation hub with an emphasis on active transportation to achieve this goal. This report draws on Bicycle Friendly Business criteria to improve the user experience of cycling on campus.

The University of Ottawa is hoping to become a sustainable transportation hub with a emphasis on active transportation to achieve this goal. Using the City of Ottawa’s Zoning By-Law 2008-250 Section 111: Bike Parking Space Rates and Provisions, this report focuses on bike rack visibility, ease of use, and possible obstructions that may compromise the rack's maximum capacity. This report also draws on Bicycle Friendly Business criteria to improve the user experience of cycling on campus.

The University regularly surveys all the bike racks on campus. In 2021-22, the bike infrastructure survey included the following criteria: 

location icon with a bike symbol on it

Rack location

The bike rack is located close to cycling amenities and are highly visible.

  • High visibility - 79%
  • Winter bike racks - 25%
a location icon next to a bike icon representing the distance of the bike from a building

Rack proximity

The rack is located no more than 30 metres from the main or principal entrance of a building.

  • >30m from entrance - 80%
a construction pilon next to a bike icon

Rack access

The rack is easy to access and do not have obstructions preventing access to the rack, such as pillars, garbage bins, or walls.

  • Racks with barriers - 31%
  • Awkward placement - 17%
a bike icon inside the shape of a padlock

Rack security

The rack has security features to prevent bike theft, including being highly visible to the public, being bolted to the ground, or have access to a locked enclosure.

  • Secure enclosure - 10%
  • Bolted - 100%
three bikes lined up right next to one another

Rack capacity

The total capacity of bikes the rack can hold, which is influenced by its placement and orientation.

  • Utilizable spaces - 92%
two bike icons separated by an arrow

Rack spacing

The amount of spacing between racks is at least 1.5 metres, sufficient to comfortably move a bike.

  • Min 1.5 m access on one side of the rack - 98%
  • Access from all sides - 39%

Findings

According to the City of Ottawa zoning bylaw, the University of Ottawa requires 1600 spaces across 38 eligible academic buildings, and 1437 spaces across 9 residence complexes. Therefore, there should be a total of 1775 spaces available across all campuses, but the actual number of spaces is lower (1452 for non-residence buildings and 184 for residence buildings) because of the placement of some of the racks. Since bike rack requirements are linked to specific buildings rather than a campus total, these deficiencies apply to the number of spaces available at specific buildings.

The survey revealed that there are 1636 bicycle parking spaces available on the campuses of the University of Ottawa (1452 spaces with an additional 184 dedicated to residence buildings).
Most of the factors surveyed during this audit scored very well, the majority scoring over 75% on individual criteria.

  • 100% of racks were bolted 
  • 97.5% of racks had 2 points of contact, with the remaining being fully functional and accessible 
  • 95% of bike space efficiency targets were met
Bike infographic explaining the amount of racks on campus and in residences
Campus Racks compliant spaces = 1452; Campus deficient spaces = 284; Campus blocked spaces = 110; Residence Racks compliant spaces = 84, Residence racks deficient spaces = 1328
1600

Campus bike spaces required by the City of Ottawa

1452

Campus bike spaces available

1775

Campus bike spaces theoretically available if racks are reconfigured

Moving Forward

Some factors scored below 50%, representing areas for improvement. These factors represent indulgences rather than necessities (whether racks are covered or located within 30 metres of an outdoor bike repair station). There are also two factors that fell below 25%, secure enclosures and winterized bike racks. There is a minimum requirement for secure enclosures based on the City of Ottawa bylaws; however, there is no requirement for the number of winterized racks on campus.

Priorities

  • Additional racks for buildings lacking parking spaces
  • Standards for the number of maintenance racks 
  • Standards for maximum distance to travel for indoor secured spaces
  • Update the existing bike rack map
  • Update data on residential bike parking spaces (outdoors and indoors)
  • Rotating some racks to maximize efficiency

Non-urgent 

  • Additional winter racks
  • Removal of non-operational racks
  • Upgrade poorly maintained racks
a bunch of bike racks ready to be installed in front of the STEM building at the University of Ottawa
an information icon

Contact us

If you have suggestions to improve this report or to improve cycling on campus, please contact the Office of Campus Sustainability
[email protected].