HARTFORD, Conn. — Connecticut's Department of Energy and Environmental Protection is asking the public to weigh in on a plan to offer bicycle rentals along four state park trails, the department said Monday.

The agency released a draft request for proposals that would let vendors rent bikes along the Air Line State Park Trail, the Hop River State Park Trail, the Moosup Valley State Park Trail and the Farmington River Trail. Vendors could also offer optional shuttles so riders could travel between two points without returning to where they started, the department said.

Locations under consideration include the Pomfret Station trailhead in Pomfret Center; the Air Line State Park parking lot in Hebron and the Salmon River parking area in Colchester; Bolton Notch State Park in Bolton; the Moosup Rail Trail parking area in Sterling; and Stratton Brook State Park in Simsbury.

The department said rental equipment, including bicycles, has been among the most common requests it has heard through its Partnerships in Parks initiative, which is run by its Office of Outdoor Industry and Experiences. Rentals would help people who do not own a bike or cannot easily bring one to a trail, and could draw business to shops near the trails, the agency said.

Comments are due Nov. 20 and can be sent by email to the department. The draft is posted on the department's website and the state's CTsource bid board.

The department said it is not yet accepting formal proposals. After the comment period, it will review the feedback and may issue a formal request for proposals.

The department previously announced multiyear paddlecraft rental services at five state parks.

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