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 Café 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.