Item 9 — Mobility Storage Locker Exemptions

Understanding what changed, why it happened, and what both sides say about it

What Happened

Bylaw 21P2024 added a new subsection 546.1(2) to the Land Use Bylaw. This subsection created an exemption from the requirement to provide mobility storage lockers for residential developments with two or fewer dwelling units.

What Is a Mobility Storage Locker?

The Basic Definition

A mobility storage locker is a secure, enclosed storage space provided within a residential development for residents to store mobility devices and equipment. It is designed to accommodate items that are too large or bulky to store inside a typical dwelling unit.

What They Are Designed to Store

Mobility storage lockers are intended to store items such as:

• Bicycles and e-bikes

• Electric scooters and mopeds

• Wheelchairs and mobility scooters

• Strollers and cargo bikes

• Other large personal mobility equipment

Why They Matter

In higher density developments where residents do not have private garages or large storage areas mobility storage lockers provide a secure alternative to storing these items inside the unit or leaving them unsecured outside. They are particularly important for residents who rely on bicycles or mobility devices as their primary means of transportation.

What Did the Old Rules Require?

The Old Requirement

Before Bylaw 21P2024 the rules in subsection 546.1 required a minimum number of mobility storage lockers calculated at a rate of:

• 0.5 lockers per unit or suite where a unit or suite is not provided a motor vehicle parking stall located in a private garage

What That Meant in Practice

For a development with 6 units where none of the units had a private garage the minimum requirement was:

• 6 units x 0.5 lockers = 3 mobility storage lockers required

The requirement existed across all residential developments regardless of their size.

What Do the New Rules Require?

The New Exemption

The new subsection 546.1(2) states that there is no requirement for mobility storage lockers for parcels with two or fewer dwelling units.

What That Means in Practice

• A single detached home: No mobility storage locker required

• A single detached home with a secondary suite: No mobility storage locker required

• A duplex with two units: No mobility storage locker required

• A development with three or more units: Mobility storage lockers still required at the old rate

Why Did the City Make This Change?

Proportionality

The City's argument for this exemption is straightforward. For small residential developments with one or two units the requirement to provide a formal mobility storage locker is disproportionate to the actual need. A homeowner with a secondary suite in their basement has:

• A private garage or driveway available for bicycle storage

• Interior space that can accommodate mobility devices

• Direct control over their property and its storage arrangements

Requiring a formal locker in that context adds cost and complexity without a clear benefit.

Reducing Barriers to Small-Scale Development

Secondary suites and duplex conversions are among the most affordable and least disruptive ways to add housing in established neighbourhoods. Reducing infrastructure requirements for those small-scale additions removes one barrier to their creation.

Consistency With Parking Exemptions

The bylaw also exempts developments with two or fewer units from bicycle parking requirements. Making the mobility storage locker exemption consistent with that threshold creates a coherent and predictable framework for small residential developments.

What Are the Concerns About This Change?

The Cumulative Effect of Multiple Exemptions

Critics of this change tend not to object to it in isolation. The concern is about what it represents when combined with the other changes in Bylaw 21P2024:

• Parking requirements were reduced

• Bicycle parking requirements were exempted for small developments

• Mobility storage locker requirements were exempted for small developments

• Each individual exemption is defensible on its own terms

• Together they represent a pattern of reducing infrastructure obligations across the board

Impact on Residents Who Rely on Active Transportation

For residents who rely on bicycles, e-bikes, or mobility scooters as their primary means of transportation the absence of a required storage locker creates a practical challenge:

• Storing a bicycle inside a small secondary suite is difficult

• Leaving it outside unsecured creates theft and weather exposure risks

• The exemption may make secondary suites less practical for residents who do not own cars and rely on active transportation instead

The Two-Unit Threshold May Be Too High

Some observers have questioned whether the two-unit threshold is set at the right level:

• A single detached home with a secondary suite creates two households on a single lot

• Both households may have bicycles or mobility devices to store

• The exemption means neither household has a guaranteed secure storage space beyond what the property happens to provide

• Critics argue the threshold should be one unit rather than two

What Does This Mean in Practical Terms?

For Homeowners Adding a Secondary Suite

• You are not required to provide a mobility storage locker as part of the suite

• Your existing garage, shed, or interior space can serve that function if available

• The absence of a formal requirement does not prevent you from providing storage voluntarily

For Tenants in Secondary Suites

• Your lease may or may not include access to bicycle or mobility device storage

• There is no legal requirement for the property owner to provide it

• If active transportation storage is important to you it is worth confirming what is available before signing a lease

For Developers of Larger Developments

• The exemption does not apply to developments with three or more units

• Mobility storage lockers are still required at the rate of 0.5 lockers per unit or suite where units do not have private garages

• This requirement remains unchanged for larger multi-unit developments

Key Facts

• Section of the bylaw added: Subsection 546.1(2) of Land Use Bylaw 1P2007

• What the old rules required: 0.5 mobility storage lockers per unit or suite where units do not have private garages

• What the new exemption does: Removes the mobility storage locker requirement entirely for developments with two or fewer dwelling units

• Who is affected: Homeowners with secondary suites, duplex owners, and their tenants

• Who is not affected: Developers of three or more unit developments who still must meet the old requirement

• The City's argument for the change: Proportionality, reducing barriers to small-scale development, and consistency with bicycle parking exemptions

• Primary concern among critics: The exemption is defensible in isolation but contributes to a broader pattern of reducing infrastructure obligations that cumulatively affects residents who rely on active transportation

Read the full bylaw: calgary.ca

See the related proposal: [Link to Item 9 Proposal — insert once created]

Next: Item 10 — Bicycle Parking Exemptions →