News you can use: Divvy for Everyone enrollment and NW Side expansion

With the rollout of Divvy e-bikes, many shared feelings of frustration that there was a price differential for Divvy e-bikes. I wondered how Divvy for Everyone members would be effected and how accessible signing up for Divvy for Everyone is during COVID.

Divvy for Everyone (D4E) members starting and ending their trip within Zone 1 are charged 5 cents per minute. D4E members starting and ending a trip within Zone 2 are provided 45 minutes free of charge and will be charged 5 cents per minute after that. I would prefer to see all D4E members be provided with 45 minutes free of charge. While D4E members living within Zone 2 may have more mobility options than those living in  Zone 1, I’m not sure it warrants a price differential for Divvy e-bikes. Plus many jobs are located within Zone 2 and if a D4E member travels to this zone, they’ll encounter a higher charge. Currently these concerns may not be so relevant given that the number of Divvy e-bikes make up a small percentage of the overall number of Divvy bikes but as the number of Divvy e-bikes increase, concerns about pricing will be more urgent.

Divvy for Everyone membership enrollment was made accessible for those with internet access when an online enrollment portal was created. Applicants must provide proof of a discounted utility bill, Medicaid enrollment, SNAP enrollment, or proof of state or federal assistance. While I think it’s great D4E enrollment was finally made available online, not everyone who qualifies for D4E is on an assistance program. Folks who qualify for D4E but either don’t have internet access or who are not enrolled in an assistance program would have to visit an in-person enrollment location. Given that many of the centers are closed due to the pandemic, I wanted to reach out to CDOT to get some answers.

When I reached out to CDOT I was informed that some of the in-person D4E enrollment centers would be reopening. I was provided the following locations as options for in-person D4E enrollment:

• Center for Changing Lives (1955 N St. Louis Ave #101, Chicago, IL 60647)
• North Lawndale Employment Network (3936 W Roosevelt Road Chicago IL 60624 1st floor )
• Central State SER (3948 W. 26th St, Suite 213)

It’s advised that you call ahead before making your way to these locations given that they are seeing folks by appointment only. You can find more information at the Divvy for Everyone website.

If these sites are out prohibitively too far for you, you might have luck reaching out to DivvyOutreach@lyft.com I reached out and stated I had been a D4E member over the past year and wanted to renew my membership. I offered to scan over my ID and a recent pay stub. Within 72 hours I was provided a link to the Divvy app that allowed me to pay for the membership and I was back in business. I am unsure what the process is for an initial enrollment but it’s worth a shot. If you decide to try this process, feel free to comment below how it works out.

Additional Divvy news that may interest you: Divvy’s expansion on the Northwest side of Chicago. I reached out to CDOT to get an idea of when the Northwest side will see Divvy bikes. CDOT is still determining where the 50 traditional Divvy stations and an undisclosed amount of supplemental stations for Divvy e-bikes will be placed. CDOT is still fielding public input to inform their decisions. CDOT does not have a precise timeline as to when phase 2 of the Divvy expansion will start but they hope to announce it “in the near future.” Additionally, the expansion is still on target for a full citywide expansion in 2021. I’m looking forward to sharing the good news once it’s available.