Voting has started on potential locations throughout Central Austin for bicycle-sharing stations.

The City of Austin's Public Works Department and Bike Share of Austin initiated the survey July 22 to gather public feedback on where bicycle-sharing stations should be placed in Austin. People can cast their vote through August at www.votebikeshareaustin.com.

"This is such a public program in mission and how it's approached that we really want to understand how to make it work the best and where the most interest in bikes and bike stations is," said Craig Staley, the director of Bike Share of Austin.

The bicycle-share program will let users rent a bike at an electronic bike station, ride to their desired location and drop off their rental bike at a separate bike station. The proposal is similar to the bicycle-share programs in cities such as Denver and San Antonio.

The program will kick off when about 10 stations and 100 bicycles come online in December. An additional 30 stations and 300 bicycles should then be online by spring, Staley said.

The majority of the initial stations will be in the area bordered by Lady Bird Lake, Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, I-35 and Lamar Boulevard, Staley said.