Hello! Thanks for your interest in Rack ‘Em Up, Philadelphia’s Bike Parking Competition.

The Philadelphia Parking Authority (PPA) – in partnership with WTS Philadelphia, the City of Philadelphia’s Office of Transportation, Infrastructure, & Sustainability (oTIS), the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC), the Philadelphia Fire Department, and the City of Philadelphia’s Office of Emergency Management (OEM) – aims to design and install prototype fire hydrant-accessible bike corrals – to be known affectionately as Philly Racks – with the goal of preventing illegal car parking, maintaining fire hydrant access, and increasing the supply of bike parking on Philadelphia streets.

This friendly design competition promotes innovation and creativity in regard to the development of a bike corral design that maintains fire hydrant access. In this case, the bike corral would be placed in the parking lane rather than on the sidewalk to provide additional bike parking and pedestrian access. The sponsors are looking for out-of-the-box solutions to maximize the urban landscape and achieve multi-purpose use of existing space.

In FY 2021, the PPA issued 31,380 tickets to individuals illegally parked in front of a fire hydrant. When a car is parked in front of a fire hydrant located on the corner of a busy city block, it can delay emergency response, limit the ability of firefighters to hook up hoses, and obscure sight lines between the street and the sidewalk. In some cases, fire fighters must break the car windows and run the hose through the car to gain access. This is a great chance to reclaim some underutilized space and alleviate the issues of blocked hydrants!

If the prototype is deemed successful, it could be mass-produced for use in multiple locations throughout the City. No future work or contract is guaranteed.

Please visit the additional website pages to learn more about the competition rules, prizes, and to register.

This competition is financed, in part, by The Innovation Fund, a grant opportunity funded by the Mayor’s Fund for Philadelphia and Verizon. The Innovation Fund is managed by the Innovation Management Team in the City’s Office of Innovation and Technology and provides grants to launch pilot initiatives proposed by city employees that have the potential to improve the services and functions of municipal government.