City's Bike Sharing Program Launching This Summer
By Chuck Sudo in News on Apr 25, 2013 2:20PM
Image courtesy Chicago Department of Transportation
Chicago’s long-stalled bike sharing program will finally launch this summer and it has a name.
Divvy, named to reflect the “divide and share” nature of bike sharing programs, will tentatively launch in June with 75 stations throughout downtown and River North, primarily at transportation centers and “L” stations, with a goal of 400 stations and 4,000 bikes across Chicago by 2014. Most stations will be able to hold 15-19 bikes, with empty docks to return bikes, and are solar powered. As the program expands, Divvy stations will be located in shopping and employment districts, schools and tourist attractions.
The plan was originally intended to cater to public transit riders as a convenient way to complete their trips into the city. Users of the program may buy $75 annual memberships, where they’ll be given a personal key to unlock bikes from any station if they enroll online. Divvy will also offer $7 daily passes providing unlimited rides of up to 30 minutes each.
As for the bicycles, the picture above is what users of the program will ride. These are heavy-duty framed bikes painted in the light blue color of the stripes in the city’s flag, projecting a sense of civic pride and providing safety on the streets. They contain wide seating and upright handlebars for comfort, a chain guard, grip shifters, and headlights and taillights that illuminate as the bike is pedaled.
The federally funded program is being implemented by Alta Bicycle Share LLC, an Oregon-based company that specializes in bike sharing programs across the country. Alta Bicycle Share was the subject of some controversy during the bid process for the program. Transportation Commissioner Gabe Klein worked as a consultant for Alta Bicycle Share in 2011, but recused himself from the RFP process. Josh Squire, owner of Bike Chicago (the company that rents bikes along the lakefront), said his bid for the program would have been significantly cheaper; Alta Bicycle Share's contract with the city to implement the program is worth up to $65 million.