Bike parking in Palo Alto

Bikes are everywhere in Palo Alto. So are the places to leave them. Racks dot most downtown blocks, the train stations rent electronic lockers by the hour and Stanford has more bike parking than many cities. The weak spots are crowded racks near the station and the steady problem of theft.

This page covers where to lock up, what the secure options cost and how to protect and register your bike. For riding routes, see our guide to the city's bike boulevards. For bringing a bike on the train, see arriving by bike.

At the Caltrain stations

Caltrain offers three levels of bike parking: open racks, electronic lockers rented by the hour and secure indoor rooms at a few stations. Racks are at every station except College Park and San Martin.

Rack counts for Palo Alto and California Avenue come from Caltrain's station pages. The locker and secure room details come from its bike parking by station table. Our station guides for Palo Alto and California Avenue show where everything sits.

BikeLink eLockers

The eLockers are enclosed boxes that you open with the BikeLink app. You pay only for the time you use. Caltrain's bike parking page lists these terms for Caltrain-owned eLockers:

• 5 cents an hour, or 2 cents an hour on nights and weekends.
• Payment through the BikeLink app.
• 100 free hours the first time you use the app at a Caltrain eLocker.
• Available at 22 Caltrain stations, with more planned.

Even a full working day costs well under a dollar, which makes the lockers the best deal in town for anyone who parks at the station regularly. Several stations also have XL lockers for larger bikes.

Bike Hub secure rooms

Bike Hub rooms are controlled-access indoor bike parking. Caltrain lists a standard price of $60 a year, with weekly and monthly options. Its station table lists a Bike Hub at Palo Alto and Menlo Park, while a banner on the same site names only Redwood City and Menlo Park. Confirm Palo Alto availability on the Bike Hub site before you sign up. In San Francisco, Caltrain also offers free weekday bike valet at its San Francisco station.

Downtown and California Avenue

A city survey on December 14, 2023, published with the 2026 bike plan, counted bike parking in and around downtown:

• 679 spaces at 142 locations along University Avenue, Hamilton and Lytton avenues and nearby streets, including the station area.
• Inverted U racks were the most common type. About 90 percent were on sidewalks.
• Use was highest near the Caltrain station and along University Avenue, where surveyors saw riders locking to sign poles and trees because racks ran short.

In practice, racks on the side streets a block off University Avenue usually have space when the main street is full. The California Avenue district has racks along the street, which fill on Sunday mornings during the farmers market. Our downtown guide and California Avenue guide show the layout of each district.

Rack etiquette

• Lock to the rack itself, not to another bike.
• Park parallel to the rack so two bikes can share it.
• Keep the sidewalk clear for strollers and wheelchairs.
• Do not leave a bike on a public rack for days. Long-parked bikes attract thieves and can be removed as abandoned.

If a block you use has no racks, report it to the city's Office of Transportation at (650) 329-2520 or through Palo Alto 311.

At Stanford

Stanford counts more than 13,000 bike parking spaces on campus and racks sit outside almost every building. The university's rules are strict about where bikes go:

• Do not lock to railings, ramps, doorways or stairs.
• Bikes that block access can be removed and impounded by Stanford Public Safety.
• Bikes left unattended can be tagged as abandoned and claimed if not moved within two weeks.
• Stanford advises against leaving a bike on an outdoor rack for more than 24 hours.

Stanford also runs reservable bike cages in the Knight Management Center Garage, Stock Farm Garage, Via Ortega Garage and the Center for Academic Medicine, booked through its Reserve a Bike Cage page. Short-term visitors normally use the public racks. More on campus logistics is in our Stanford parking and transit guide.

Preventing theft

Bike theft is common near stations, downtown and on campus. A few habits make a big difference:

1. Use a U-lock. Stanford says most campus bike thefts involve cut cable locks. Put the U-lock through the frame and the rack.
2. Secure the wheels. Add a cable or a second lock for the front wheel, or replace quick-release skewers with locking ones.
3. Take the extras. Remove lights, bags and anything else that comes off without tools.
4. Pick busy, visible racks. Thieves prefer quiet corners and dark side lots.
5. Use a locker for long stays. At the stations, an eLocker costs pennies an hour.
6. Record the serial number. It is usually stamped under the bottom bracket. Photograph it with the bike.

Registering your bike

Registration does not stop theft, but it is the best way to get a stolen bike back. The Palo Alto Police Department's bicycle registration page points residents to Bike Index, a free nonprofit registry:

1. Create a free account at bikeindex.org.
2. Register your bike with its serial number and a photo.
3. Join the "City of Palo Alto" group under Groups and Ownership.

If your bike is stolen, mark it stolen in Bike Index so anyone who finds it, including police, can contact you. With no suspect information, file a report online through the police department's website. If the theft just happened or you have suspect details, call the department's 24-hour dispatch line at (650) 329-2413.

Stanford runs its own free registration through Stanford Public Safety, with registration events on the first Friday of each month. Registered bikes can be traced if they turn up tagged as abandoned. Report thefts on the main campus to Stanford Public Safety. Families with students can also look at our Safe Routes to School guide, since PAUSD schools have their own bike racks and rules.

Tips for visitors

• Ask your hotel. Some hotels store bikes indoors. Ask when you book, or compare hotels near Caltrain and check bike storage before you commit.
• Renting? Use the lock the shop provides and follow the same rules. See our bike rentals guide.
• Lock up at the station, then walk. For a downtown evening, a station eLocker is safer than a dark rack.

Frequently asked questions