Seattle Bike Blog reports that the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) has put the city's bike parking program on hold and has suggested that it could be cut to help close the department's ongoing budget shortfall.

Previously, if you wanted a bike rack installed in front of your home or business, you could simply call SDOT and a crew would eventually (weather and budget permitting) come out and install one.

Now, the bike blog reports, the city has suspended new bike rack installations, including sidewalk racks and on-street bike corrals like the one pictured above.

Meanwhile, according to a Commute Seattle study released last week, less than half of all businesses in the central business district provide their own bike racks to employees or the general public.

"Given the rising number of people riding bikes and the economic benefits associated with bicycle ridership and bike parking, it does not make much economic sense to cut the bike parking program," the Bike Blog concludes.