Rating System

LEED BD+C: New Construction, LEED BD+C: Core and Shell, LEED BD+C: Schools, LEED ID+C: Commercial Interiors

Rating System Version

v4.1 - LEED v4.1, v4 - LEED v4, v3 - LEED 2009, v2 - Schools 2007, v2 - LEED 2.2, v2 - LEED 2.0

Inquiry

Under LEED NCv2.2, projects must provide adequate bike racks to serve 5% or more of all commercial and retail building users at peak periods of occupancy and shower and changing facilities for 0.5% of Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) occupants. The credit also requires residential projects to provide 15% of residents with covered bike storage. Our project is a mixed use hotel, residential, retail and office building in New York City. We propose to provide: - Bike racks for at least 5% of the hotel and retail employees, retail customers and office tenants - Showers and changing facilities for at least 0.5% of the hotel and retail staff and office occupant FTE - Covered bike storage for at least 15% of residents - Hotel guests with information about where they can rent a bike for daily use We request exemption of the hotel guests from the onsite bike storage requirement as we do not believe they will bring bikes and it would be cost prohibitive to provide enough bike storage to serve 0.5% of them. The USGBC has previously ruled (SSc4.2 ruling dated 06/04/03) that an international airline terminal can meet the intent of this credit by providing bike racks, showers and changing facilities for the FTE staff occupancy exclusively, provided alternative transportation opportunities are maximized for transient occupants. In addition this would be extremely cost prohibitive based on the construction and real estate in New York City. Our project is located on 42nd Street, very near Times Square in midtown Manhattan. The primary modes of transportation around this busy retail, theatre and residential area are walking and subways. The project itself includes a new subway station that will lead pedestrians to 12 subway lines. The City\'s major bus terminal (Port Authority) is a block away from the project. The City\'s two major train stations are within walking distance, but hotel guests can also catch a pedicab, bus or subway from the project to reach them. We do not believe personal bicycles are a likely means of transportation for hotel guests (especially from the airport with luggage) to our project, and guests will have every means of reaching the hotel by public transportation. Out of town guests will be able to reach the project by subway, train or bus from all the major New Jersey and New York airports.