Rahm Emanuel celebrated the one-month anniversary of the Divvy bike-share system at a ribbon cutting this morning for a new docking station at Fosco Park Community Center, 1312 South Racine. The mayor announced that with 117 stations scheduled to be online by the end of the day, Divvy will become the fourth-largest public bike system in the country, after New York City’s Citi Bike, Washington D.C.’s Capital Bikeshare, and Minneapolis’ Nice Ride.
The program will expand to 300 stations by this fall and 400 by next spring, which will be more than NYC's 330, although that city will still have more cycles. “Bike sharing in Chicago has been very successful in just a very short time, and we are expanding the system into more neighborhoods for more Chicagoans to utilize this exciting new way to move around the city,” Mayor Emanuel said.
It’s worth noting that this latest batch of 40 stations is a bit behind schedule. In a press release posted on Wednesday, July 23, the Chicago Department of Transportation said these stations were scheduled for installation by last Monday, July 26. However, five of the announced locations weren’t installed by that date. This is one of a few Divvy deadlines that CDOT has missed. The system launch was scheduled for Bike to Work Day, Friday, June 14, but instead the rollout happened two weeks later. The department also planned to have 75 stations in operation for the launch, but instead it debuted with only 67.
According to the Mayor’s Office, Divvy riders have taken more than 80,000 trips, pedaling roughly 250,000 miles, longer than the distance to the moon. Almost 4,000 annual memberships have been sold.
Emanuel also touted Divvy’s new Corporate and Community Partner program, offers groups $10 off the $75 annual membership fees; the partners may choose to further subsidize the cost for their employees. So far, 24 businesses, nonprofits and community groups have joined, including such diverse entities as the Metropolitan Planning Council, DRW Trading, Eleven City Diner, Park Community Church and Fox News Digital.
“Local companies and community organizations can also become partners in the program and encourage their employees and members to join Divvy at discounted rates,” said CDOT Commissioner Gabe Klein. “We are extremely pleased with the amount of early participation and enthusiasm the Chicago business community has shown for bike sharing.”
Klein also mentioned that among the 900 or so “Chicago blue” bikes on the street, there is a single red-painted ride. The 25th, 50th, 75th, 100th, 200th and 300th customers to check out the crimson cycle will win a free annual membership or, for riders who are already enrolled, another year of credit. You can also post photos and videos of the burgundy bike under the hashtag #divvyred to be eligible to win Divvy gear, car-sharing memberships, a gift certificate to Intelligentsia Coffee, or a night at the Hotel Felix.
Here’s a full list of the 24 Corporate and Community Partners:
- Metropolitan Planning Council
- YR&G
- Eleven City Diner
- Solomon Cordwell Buenz
- Sprout Social
- EQE Partners
- Fox News Digital
- GA Communication
- Morr Sharp Associates
- US Equities
- onShore Networks
- Steadfast Networks
- Sam Schwartz Engineering
- AXA Assistance
- DRW Trading
- Big Bowl
- Morningstar
- World Business Chicago
- Classified Ventures
- HBK Engineering
- Jones Lang LaSalle
- Mintel Group
- Park Community Church
- Compass Lexecon
