On a rainy Thursday in November, three bicycles were parked in an office on the 29th floor of 7 World Trade Center in downtown Manhattan, a sleek new tower. Positioned near a window overlooking the Hudson River, the bikes had a better view than many of the desks nearby.

Bikes will soon become a more familiar sight around office cubicles in New York City. On Friday, a new bike access law takes effect in the city, stipulating that buildings with freight elevators must allow employees to use those elevators to take their bikes upstairs. Passed in July, the law aims to encourage bicycle commuting by eliminating worries about the security of street parking.

Under this law, however, access has to be granted only during freight elevator operating hours, which typically end around 6 p.m. In addition, cyclists may have to submit formal requests to get a landlord to issue a bike access plan, and the city may grant exceptions to some buildings  for example, if the freight area is deemed unsafe.

But some building owners and office managers have already embraced the idea, installing racks, carving out space for bike rooms and opening freight elevators to employees who pedal to work.