March 12, 2014 - The City of Knoxville recently installed its second bike corral on the 500 block of Gay Street. The first corral is located in the Old City.

City officials said it's important to meet the need for additional bicycle parking along Gay Street. Due to sidewalk limitations, it was not possible to install more racks, and the only available rack close at hand is regularly full, causing cyclists to resort to locking their bikes to poles, fences and sign posts.

"In order to address the limited bicycle parking and to help keep the sidewalk free of obstructions, we decided to install a bike corral. It benefits cyclists, pedestrians and businesses," said Jon Livengood, Alternative Transportation Coordinator for the City of Knoxville.

The rack was paid for by a grant from the Transportation Planning Organization (TPO), so the City's only cost was the labor to install the racks.

"This was a great location since there are multiple cafes and restaurants, the movie theater, Krutch Park, professional offices and residences close by," explained Livengood. "Studies have shown that when you provide adequate bicycle parking, it results in increased business for the adjacent shops."

The bike corral can hold 10 bikes in the space of less than one parallel parking spot, allowing more people access to the shops and businesses in the immediate area.