J.T. Martin and Luke Garrott, both freshman members of the City Council, are pushing the eco- and wallet-friendly approach, which likely will have an ally in Mayor Ralph Becker, a committed cyclist.

One idea is to plop kiosks lined with bikes for public rental at downtown hot spots, including a cycle station at the new Salt Lake Central transit hub. It could be modeled roughly after SmartBike D.C., a new program that provides 120 bikes at 10 spots in the nation's capital - accessed by subscribers with a quick card swipe.

Or the bikes could be free, Martin says, perhaps donated two-wheelers that would be painted an "ugly" color to deter theft.

"Everyone's very intrigued by the idea," Martin says. "As with anything, there are a lot of doubting Thomases, too, who say it won't work and will be a complete disaster."

Rolling smoothly across Europe, bicycle networks have proliferated in France, Scandinavia and Spain. Stateside, the first program was launched this month in Washington, D.C.

David Everitt, Becker's chief of staff, has huddled with Utah Transit Authority honchos to plot a rental system, perhaps modeled after the big-city counterparts.

"It's a phenomenal idea," says Everitt, who would like bicycles available for city employees in the interim. "The goal would be to have the bulk of the capital cost covered by private companies that could do advertising like Paris [does]. But the city could help to get it up and running."

While no money went directly to a bike-share program in the tentative 2008-09 budget, Everitt notes a newly proposed bikeways coordinator could help hunt for partners and funding.

Tim Harpst, the city's transportation director, says UTA has sent out a bid request to design a bicycle station at the transit hub. A second request probing re-use options for a railroad-storage building just north of the hub also has been submitted.

"It just makes sense," Harpst says about a bicycle center adjacent to the FrontRunner and TRAX hub. "There's going to be a demand for it. We're actually trying to be ahead of the curve."

Harpst envisions a cycle center that offers air, water, repairs - and possibly rentals. "If you took a train into town and wanted to get around by bike you could do that."

But the scope - as well as whether to charge - is the sticking point.

Dave Iltis, editor of Cycling Utah, remembers Salt Lake City's short-lived run in the '90s, when bicycles were available downtown - for free.

"It lasted all of three days before the bikes were gone," he recalls. "Unless there is some kind of check-in, check-out system, it doesn't work."

Other U.S. cities, including Portland, Ore., have seen their free-bike programs fail - with two-wheelers abandoned, swiped or dumped in a river.

For D.C.'s SmartBike - run by Clear Channel - residents pay a $39.99 monthly fee to use the service. A $200 penalty is charged for lost or stolen bikes.

Jonathan Morrison, executive director of Salt Lake City Bicycle Collective, notes his nonprofit has been asked to offer free rentals - known as a yellow bike for the distinctive color - but resists.

"It never works," he says. "No city has ever been able to do a free model [because] no one fixes the bikes. If they get a flat tire, they get left and parted out. Or they get stolen."

Morrison says the success stories seem to be Paris and, now perhaps, D.C. Salt Lake City, he says, could be next if UTA relinquishes its iron grip on "under-utilized advertising space" at potential bike docks.

"They could leverage it more effectively for a program like this."

If the city wants a peek, officials could peer at the Westminster College campus, where a miniature model dubbed "Westminster Wheels" sprang on Earth Day.

Acting on a petition, student-body president Brody Leven used a $5,000 donation from Chevron - and donated gear from a cycling shop - to add five free bikes, available for students at a secure rack near the union building.

Students sign a waiver, then get a free helmet, lock and light for the single-speed coaster-break bikes, now scribbled in school colors.

"The program has worked flawlessly," Leven says. "These five bikes have been gone virtually all the time."

Ogden and the Salt Lake Convention and Visitors Bureau also are pursuing bike sharing, according to Iltis.

The pedal-pushing Martin is confident a more progressive City Council would be supportive of any idea "that moves people around better."

Everitt concedes the plan is preliminary, but predicts a public rental system could be established in 12 to 18 months.

Garrott isn't so sure. He says the city must take the lead rather than "saddle" UTA with the responsibility. But given the capital's money crunch, he worries such quality-of-life improvements may land on the "chopping block."

"I'm surprised we're not raising more money," says Garrott, a self-described "massive" bicycle supporter. "People voted heavily for Ralph. They voted heavily for me. They voted heavily for J.T. We talked about a new city that had these kinds of improvements. They're in jeopardy now because of the budget shortfall."

djensen@sltrib.com