Surrey’s bike parking rules changed in May 2025. Required counts for multi-family projects dropped, and rules on where you can put them opened up. Here’s what applies today.

Key Takeaways

Multi-family projects now require 0.40 secured bike spaces per dwelling unit plus 6 visitor spaces per building, down from the previous 1.2 to 2 per unit.
Surrey’s bike parking rules sit in Part 5 of Zoning Bylaw 12000, amended May 12, 2025 under Corporate Report R093.
Bike parking is only triggered when a building provides 30 or more vehicle parking spaces.
Secured bike areas can now sit on parking levels P1 to P3, provided they’re within 75 metres of an entrance or elevator.
Storage can be provided as a dedicated room, mesh compound, numbered lockers, or communal storage with minimum 0.7 m by 1.8 m units.
Adding bike infrastructure beyond the minimum unlocks small vehicle parking reductions of up to 2.5 percent.

Where the Rules Live

Surrey bike parking requirements sit in Part 5 of Surrey Zoning Bylaw 12000, alongside vehicle parking and loading. The bicycle parking bylaw Surrey developers work with was last amended on May 12, 2025 under Corporate Report R093, which cut required rates and added flexibility on storage location.

When Bike Parking Is Triggered

Not every project triggers a bike parking requirement. Under Section E.5, bike spaces are only required when a building provides 30 or more vehicle parking spaces. Below that threshold, none is required by the bylaw, though many projects still provide it through rezoning conditions.

Multi-Family Requirements

This is where the biggest 2025 change landed. Every non-ground-oriented multi-family building must now provide 6 visitor bicycle spaces per building, plus 0.40 secured bike spaces per dwelling unit.

The maximum secured space cap varies by location. In most of the city it’s 40 spaces per building. In Fleetwood, Guildford, Newton Town Centre, City Centre, within 50 metres of a Transit-Oriented Area, and in TOAs themselves, the cap rises to 300.

The previous rate was 1.2 to 2 secured spaces per unit. A March 2025 City Centre survey of 13 towers with 5,579 units found average utilization at 0.1 bikes per unit, maximum 0.27. The new 0.40 rate leaves room for growth while cutting chronically empty storage rooms. Ground-oriented multi-family (townhouses, stacked townhouses) has no separate bike parking requirement under Table D.1.

Non-Residential Requirements

Surrey zoning bike parking rules for non-residential uses focus on larger buildings:

Office and general service uses (banks, vet clinics) at 2,000 sq m or larger: 0.06 secured spaces per 100 sq m of GFA, plus 0.12 visitor spaces per 100 sq m in City Centre or Town Centres (0.06 elsewhere)
Eating establishments 2,000 sq m or larger: same rate as above
Hospitals: 0.1 secured spaces per 100 sq m, plus 6 visitor spaces at each public entrance
Retail stores 4,645 sq m or larger: 0.1 visitor spaces per 100 sq m
Elementary schools: 4 visitor spaces per classroom
Secondary schools and universities: 8 visitor spaces per classroom
Tourist accommodation: 1 visitor space per 30 rooms

Mixed-use projects take the greater of the requirements for each individual use, not the sum.

Design Standards and Where Storage Can Go

Visitor bike spaces must be at finished grade, within 30 metres of the main entrance, illuminated, and firmly secured with tamper-proof hinges or anchored to concrete.

Secured bike parking areas can now be provided as a dedicated secured bike room, an expanded metal mesh compound, individually numbered bike lockers, or a secure communal storage area with individual units at least 0.7 m wide and 1.8 m long. Wall-mounted racks are permitted only with Planning approval in exceptional site conditions.

The May 2025 amendment expanded where secured areas can go. They can now sit on parking levels P1 to P3, provided they’re within 75 metres of a building entrance or elevator. Previously, they had to be no more than one level below grade. Every secured area also needs a maintenance facility.

Vehicle Parking Reductions Through Bike Provision

The bylaw offers small vehicle parking reductions for extra bike infrastructure, available only within City Centre, Fleetwood, Guildford Town Centre, or Newton Town Centre, and only outside Transit-Oriented Areas. Adding 0.25 bike spaces per unit above the minimum permits a 2 percent cut in required residential parking. Adding one 120V outlet for every 8 residential bike spaces permits a further 0.5 percent cut. Neither applies to visitor parking.

Source: City of Surrey, Corporate Report R093 and Zoning Bylaw 12000, Part 5.

Getting the Fit Right

Alliance Installations manufactures and installs wire mesh bike lockers, bike racks, and bike room amenities for projects across Metro Vancouver. If you’re working through a bike storage requirement on a current project, we’re happy to talk through what fits your space.

Email: connect@allianceinstallations.ca

Phone: (604) 232-0577