Sacramento bike parking experiment will continue for 3 weeks Share

By Cathy Locke, Published: Wednesday, May. 30, 2012 - 12:00 am | Page 2B

The city of Sacramento will be testing a new concept in bicycle parking beginning today and continuing for three weeks as part of the annual "May Is Bike Month" campaign.

The city has approved the use of temporary on-street bicycle parking corrals, said Rick Houston, a bicycle advocate who has worked with the Sacramento Area Council of Governments on Bike Month activities. The corrals are set up in an on-street parking space and consist of a bike rack that can accommodate up to 10 bicycles.

Although businesses are sometimes wary of losing a parking space for motor vehicles, advocates of the bike corrals say they provide better sightlines to the businesses that they front and create a draw to nearby businesses.

Houston said convenient parking is key to serving current bicyclists and recruiting new ones.

The temporary bike corrals will be set up for one week each at three locations:

. In front of Insight Coffee Roasters, Eighth and S streets, today through June 6.

. Between Pangaea Two Brews Cafe and Gunther's Ice Cream Shop in the 2700-2800 blocks of Franklin Boulevard, June 6-13.

. In front of LuLuLemon Athletica in the MARRS building, 20th and J streets, June 13-20.n.

Sacramento Gets New Temporary Bicycle Parking with Pilot Program

By Jared Goyette, published on May 30, 2012 at 7:46 AM

Starting today, bicycles will have 10 more spaces to call their own during a pilot program spearheaded by the folks that brought you May is Bike Month.

The new program places bright yellow bicycle corrals at three stations for a one-week trial period through June 20. Each corral holds up to 10 bicycles and takes the footprint of a single car parking space. The corrals are being donated by Park-a-Bike, a local Sacramento company that specializes in bicycle and skateboard racks and lockers

“We're showing the city that this is a viable option. We'll get some feedback because it’s only going to be in for a week, and they don't have to pay a dime,” said A.J. Tendick, a public information officer with Sacramento Area Council Of Governments and the coordinator of May is Bike Month.

The first test location will be at Eighth and S streets in front of Insight Coffee Roasters from Wednesday to June 6.

The second location will be at Third Avenue and Franklin Boulevard between Pangaea Two Brews Cafe and Gunther’s Ice Cream Shop, June 6-13.

The final location will be at 20th and J streets in front of LuluLemon Athletica in the MARRS building from June 13-20.

If you think the corrals are a good idea and want them to be permanent, then Tendick suggests you 1) Use them 2) Shop at the businesses nearby 3) Tell them you used the bike parking and appreciate it.

Ultimately, Tendick said, it will be up to the businesses to push the city to create more bicycle parking in their vicinity, be it via a bicycle corral or other means, like a bicycle rack on the sidewalk.

“We hope that the city is going to be able to take a look at this as just one more tool in their toolbox of bike parking options,” Tendick said. “There isn't always going to be the need to take up a parking space to make this happen.”

This article was co-written by Melissa Corker

Jared Goyette is the editor of The Sacramento Press. Follow him on Twitter.

Disclosure: The writer rides a bike to work and regularly uses on street bike parking.