Recent Streetsblog CHICAGO posts about Divvy

Divvy Membership Skews White and Wealthy, But Hopefully Not for Long

By John Greenfield | Sep 10, 2015 | No Comments

Thanks to member surveys, we’ve known for years that bike-share membership in other cities like Washington, D.C. and Denver has been disproportionately white, male, young, educated, and relatively affluent. Now we have confirmation that the same is true of Divvy’s annual members. However, the Chicago Department of Transportation hopes the Divvy for Everyone (D4E) equity […]

Take a Free Ride: No Charge for Divvy on Three Days in September

By John Greenfield | Sep 4, 2015 | 2 Comments

Back in July, the Chicago Department of Transportation launched the “Divvy for Everyone” equity program, offering $5 bike-share memberships to low-income Chicagoans. Now they’re trying a social experiment that will answer the question, what if Divvy was, almost literally, for everyone? Thanks to sponsorship from T-Mobile, Divvy will be offering free rides for 24-periods on […]

More Deets on the Divvy Funding Situation

By John Greenfield | Jul 24, 2015 | 22 Comments

In an article last Friday, the Tribune’s Jon Hilkevitch implied that the new price hike for Divvy day passes is a desperate measure the city is taking because the bike-share system is bleeding cash, when that’s not the case at all. “The daily fee to rent a Divvy bike will jump by more than 40 […]

Despite the Day Pass Hike, Divvy Is Already Making Money, Not Losing It

By John Greenfield | Jul 20, 2015 | 24 Comments

In Friday’s Chicago Tribune article about the impending price hike for Divvy day passes, transportation reporter Jon Hilkevitch implied that the extra revenue is needed because the bike-share system has been a money loser. In doing so, he ignored a statement he received from the Chicago Department of Transportation noting that, when you factor in […]

“Divvy for Everyone” Aims to Boost Ridership in Low-Income Areas

By John Greenfield | Jun 10, 2015 | 16 Comments

Divvy bike-share has been a resounding success on many fronts, with 476 docking stations installed and more than four million trips taken since the system launched two years ago. However, like most bike-share networks across the country, there’s plenty of room for improvement when it comes to access and ridership in low-income communities. Thanks to […]

The Divvy Perimeter Ride: Checking Out Bike-Share in Outlying Communities

By John Greenfield | May 22, 2015 | 9 Comments

[This piece also ran in Checkerboard City, John’s transportation column in Newcity magazine, which hits the streets on Wednesday evenings.] This year’s Divvy bike-share expansion, beefing up the system from 300 docking stations to 476, has moved at warp speed. As of yesterday, 168 of the new stations have been installed since mid-April; The remaining […]

The Divvy Density Dilemma: Are Stations in Low-Income Areas Too Far Apart?

By John Greenfield | May 12, 2015 | 29 Comments

Planning a useful, equitable, and financially sustainable bike-sharing system in a big, diverse city like Chicago is no easy task. You have a finite budget, and therefore a limited number of cycles and docking stations to work with. You want to provide access to the system for as many people as possible, and you’re certain […]

Eyes on the Street: Albany Park Divvy Replaces Cars Parked on Sidewalk

By Steven Vance | May 6, 2015 | 16 Comments

A new Divvy station next to the CTA’s Francisco Brown Line stop in Ravenswood Manor, one of several installed yesterday in the Albany Park community area, replaces parkway car parking spots – which often resulted in cars blocking the sidewalk – with 11 public bike-share docks. Streetsblog Chicago reader Jim Peters gave us a heads-up about […]

CDOT’s Sean Wiedel Provides an Update on Divvy Installation, Equity Efforts

By John Greenfield | Apr 24, 2015 | 6 Comments

“With all the challenges we’ve had with the equipment supplier, it’s gratifying to finally see the new Divvy stations on the ground,” said Chicago Department of Transportation assistant commissioner Sean Wiedel regarding the city’s current bike-share expansion. “People are obviously clamoring for Divvy, so it’s exciting to be able to meet that demand.” CDOT began installing […]

The 2014 Chicago Streetsies

By John Greenfield and Steven Vance | Dec 31, 2014 | 6 Comments

[Most of these entries also appeared in Newcity magazine’s Best of Chicago issue.] Best local universities to visit for that pedestrian-friendly, old-world feel Loyola University and The University of Chicago Nearly all Medieval-era cities in Europe, and countless other old cities around the world, are known for their pedestrian streets – markets and residential areas […]

Divvy Bike-Share Hopes Expanded Area, Outreach Also Expands Appeal

By Anne Alt | Dec 26, 2014 | 8 Comments

The December meeting of the Mayor’s Bicycle Advisory Committee included lots of news about the future of the Divvy program. Ever since the bike-share program launched on June 28, 2013, 3.1 million users, including 23,177 annual members and many daily users, have biked over 6.6 million miles starting at 300 stations. A previously planned expansion […]

Despite Saturday’s Tragic Crash, Divvy Has a Strong Safety Record

By John Greenfield | Nov 24, 2014 | 23 Comments

Last weekend, medical student Travis Persaud was struck by two different drivers while riding a Divvy bike on Lake Shore Drive, a limited-access highway where cycling is prohibited. Persaud, 25, is the only person ever to have been critically injured while riding bike-share in Chicago since the system launched in June 2013. Around 2:50 a.m. […]

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