Bike Parking

Program Overview

Milwaukee aims to make biking an easy and convenient way to move around the city. Being able to park a bike quickly and safely near your destination is key - which is exactly why we have installed thousands of publicly available bike racks throughout the city! Check out the full map of available bike racks throughout the City.

The City offers a variety of programs to help residents and businesses access high-quality bike parking throughout the Milwaukee community. Learn about how to request regular and, if you're a BID or NID, decorative bike racks below.  

How to Request a Bike Rack 

Please use this form to request a new bike rack or identify an existing rack that needs to be repaired or replaced. Anyone can request a rack! Learn about requirements and rack types below to help you submit your request. 

Bike Rack Location Requirements:

• Must have at least a 2' x 6' space available so that a bike can be locked to either side of the rack
• Must not block the sidewalk path or any fire hydrants, emergency exits, utility access points, etc. when a bike is locked to the rack
• Cannot be on private property
• For U-racks, must have a concrete surface
• For bell racks and hitch racks, must be attached to an existing pole
• See Section 4 and Section 5 of the Bicycle Space Parking Ordinance for comprehensive guidelines

Bike Rack Types:

Each rack provides parking for two bicycles.

U-Rack	Bell Rack	Hitch Rack

Request a Bike Rack

How to Request a Decorative Bike Rack 

Business Improvement Districts (BIDs), Neighborhood Improvement Districts (NIDs), and other neighborhood organizations in Milwaukee can request decorative bike racks with their own unique designs. U-racks with both circular plates (photo pictured below) and horizontal crossbars (digital mockup pictured below) are available. The designs can be in color or black and white and are printed onto heavy-duty vinyl labels and applied to the racks. The first decorative bike racks with Milwaukee-themed labels can be found around Downtown Milwaukee.

Photo of pilot circular plate U-rack	Digital mockup of bar U-rack

The City provides the racks at no cost, while the organization pays for the cost of the labels and the labor needed to install the racks. Costs will vary depending on the number and type of racks ordered and may range from approximately $75 to $175 per rack. Decorative bike racks cannot be requested by individual businesses. 

If you are a neighborhood organization interested in decorative bike racks, please fill out and email the application linked below to m[email protected] with the subject line "Decorative Bike Racks Application."

Decorative Bike Racks Application

Please see the documents linked below for examples of what information should be included with the application.

• Example Filled-In Application Form (Link downloads a Word document)
• Example Map and Table
• Example Design