City planners are actively considering the idea of placing some bike corrals in downtown Lawrence.

Bicyclists who venture into downtown Lawrence will soon be one step closer to seeing additional — and more effective — parking.

City planners are drawing up a proposal for more downtown bicycle parking that will go before the City Commission Oct. 20, if all goes as expected, said Jessica Mortinger, a transportation planner for the Lawrence-Douglas County Planning Department.

The proposal calls for new types of bicycle parking — including inverted U racks and bike corrals — along Massachusetts Street and other locations downtown. It will be presented to the commission as a pilot program, and more locations could be added after the first round of installations is assessed.

“The thing about bicycle parking is, we’re looking for convenience,” Mortinger said. “There are examples of poor installation of bike racks all over town.”

The idea for additional bicycle parking was brought up after a downtown business made a request for it, Mortinger told the Journal-World in August.

Bicyclists at a Lawrence-Douglas County Bicycle Advisory Committee in September also noted a lack of adequate and safe parking.

A complete plan, including proposed locations, parking types and cost estimates, will first be released to the public Oct. 12, when the plan appears on the agenda for the Lawrence-Douglas County Bicycle Advisory Committee. That committee will provide feedback on the plan at its Oct. 19 meeting.

Mortinger said she would also get feedback from members of Downtown Lawrence Inc.

The plan needs to go to the City Commission on Oct. 20 so city planners can submit a grant application for the project, Mortinger said. The application is due later that week.

At its meeting Sept. 21, members of the bicycle advisory committee gave Mortinger feedback on the different types of parking and where they should be located.

Member Lisa Hallberg said she liked the idea of parking on the street — an option that would be available with the installation of bike corrals.

Bike corrals turn one car parking space into parking for eight to 10 bikes.

Mortinger said the corrals would reduce sidewalk congestion and keep bicycles on the streets — instead of the sidewalks.

“I like on-street parking,” Hallberg said. “We’re not allowed to bike on the sidewalk downtown, so we have to dismount.”

Mortinger said the public would need to make “a value judgment.”

“Some bicycle advocates would say it brings legitimacy and visibility to bicycling as transportation,” Mortinger said. “That’s one side of the story in terms of what they are. They are a value judgment in terms of valuing that space as a parking space.”

Hallberg also proposed installing a new type of bicycle parking at the corner of Massachusetts Street and Tenth Street, where there’s currently a “cone rack.”

With cone racks, or “wheel benders,” Mortinger said, cyclists can lock their bike by only its front wheel.

The Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals recommend racks that allow cyclists to lock their bikes in two places in order to prevent theft.

To achieve that standard, Mortinger said, planners would propose the installation of some inverted U racks.

Although a pilot program would bring an immediate addition to downtown bike parking, Mortinger challenged the bicycle advisory committee to look at the long term.

She suggested creating a process through which downtown businesses or other organizations could request and pay for the installation of more parking.

“The biggest thing and one of the things that has to be grappled with is that there’s a need for more,” Mortinger said. “If the pilot program is successful and businesses recognize the value of that, we need a more long-term solution and a process where they can apply to have bike parking. It would be better if we had a more systematic approach.”