It will take until mid-summer to complete, but bicycle riders - especially those who use the Blue Line - will have a new place to store their two wheelers.

Metro Transit says it is building a new 420-square foot bicycle storage facility at the 38th Street Station in south Minneapolis.

The weather-protected shelter to be constructed by JPMI Construction of St. Paul at a cost of about $178,000 will have room for 53 bicycles.

"We are well aware that a lot of our transit customers are bike riders," said Metro Transit spokesman Howie Padilla. "This is one way to accommodate them."

Metro Transit buses and light-rail trains have racks that allow bike riders to take their wheels with them. Padilla said the facility will operate much like a park and ride.

"We are not oblivious to the fact that people have to get to the transit station or stop and we will do what we can to facilitate that and get them there and onto transit," Padilla said.

The facility will be secure and users will need a Go-To card to gain access or register for the Bike and Ride pilot program. It is expected to be open year round, Padilla said.