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TUCOSN - On March 8th, the Mayor and Council will vote on a new bicycle code that could change the way newly developed or re-modeled stores could handle bike parking.

While merchants want the extra space, cyclists aren't as thrilled about it.

Michael McKisson, from Tucsonvelo.com, decided to take a stand and set up a contest to get local cyclists involved.

"In the first day, I get ten responses," he said.

To get involved, all you have to do is send a letter to a city official explaining the importance of keeping the bicycle parking code the way it is.

"It's a real problem if you want to go somewhere and there's no place to park your bike. You can't patronize a business if you can't park your bike," McKisson continued.

Once sent, all you have to do is send a copy to Michael so he can post it on his website. For every letter sent, you get entered into a drawing for a free breakfast at "The B Line."

"We really think that the biking community as a whole, is a really important part of Tucson, and parking is just an extension of that," Christine Cigler, The B Line Manager, said.

So what's the problem with the new code anyway?

Currently, businesses must have bicycle parking within 50 feet of their entrance. If passed, the new rules would allow that to be extended to 75 feet. Additionally, the required number of spaces could also decrease.

20 year old cyclist and student, Daniel Majewski, wanted to get his voice heard, so he wrote a letter to the Mayor himself.

"The main point I want to drive home, is that this isn't just an issue involving bikes and bicyclists, this is an issue that impacts everyone including automobile drivers," Majewski said.

"If we want people to bike, we need to make it easier for them to bike than it is for them to drive," he continued.

This, he says, means having both safe places to ride as well as safe places to park!

And even though businesses using the new code may be required to take extra security measures, Daniel says he doesn't think it will stop bicycle theft.

"A security camera at night, from 75 feet away from the building, will probably not be able to capture enough information of a person stealing a bike to prosecute them."

To find out more information on the new code or how to get involved, check out www.tucsonvelo.com