Divvy May Slow Down A Bit This Winter

By Chuck Sudo in News on Oct 25, 2013 8:40PM

This photo shows a Divvy Bikes docking station at 28th Street and Emerald Avenue. This station and others will see fewer bikes during the winter. (Photo credit: Chuck Sudo/Chicagoist)

Divvy Bikes, if you believe the city, has been an unequivocal success since its launch this summer but critics of the program have asked what would happen to Divvy when winter arrives.

Not to fear, Divvy is still all-in and will operate, but on a smaller scale. DNAInfo Chicago spoke with Divvy spokesman Elliot Greenberger who said some bikes will be moved to storage and cycled back into the network of kiosks to reduce exposure to the elements. Approximately 2,400 of Divvy’s 3,000 bikes are currently on the streets. Greenberger said Divvy tracks the bikes’ usage on a daily basis and is confident they’ll be able to meet demand.

Snow removal at Divvy’s 300 stations will be handled by Alta Bicycle Share, the company which manages the program but did say the stations could be shut down for severe storms. Greenberger wouldn’t explain what constitutes a “severe storm” so it could be a bout of thundersnow or a few inches of powder the city’s heartiest bicyclists are able to navigate on the streets when motorists can’t.