Here's some good news for annual members of Divvy bike-share, who previously had to choose between two undesirable parking alternatives when facing a dock-blocked station.
At the end of your electric bicycle or scooter ride, you may have found that the docking station closest to your destination had no open docks. So you had to ride a few blocks further to a less convenient station, park there, and then walk a few blocks back to your destination. That made your door-to-door trip a lot more time-consuming.
Or else you could use your e-bike's or e-scooter's built-in cable lock to secure the vehicle to a non-Divvy bike rack or pole near your destination, but you'd get charged a $1.20 out-of-station fee for that convenience. Let's call that no-win scenario the "Divvy Dilemma".
The glad tidings are that Divvy, overseen by the Chicago Department of Transportation and managed by the concessionaire Lyft, will no longer charge members to lock up near a full docking station. Starting August 13, there is no fee for securing a Divvy e-bike or e-scooter within 40 meters, about 130 feet, of an at-capacity station.
All annual Divvy members will benefit from this perk. That includes participants in the Divvy for Everyone (D4E), which offers $5 annual memberships to low-income Chicagoans.
Sorry non-Divvy members, if you lock to a non-Divvy rack or pole near a full docking station, you'll still pay a whopping out-of-station parking fee of $2.40.
But it seems like it could be smart for Divvy to offer the same policy to non-members. It’s not like it matters that much to Divvy from a cost or labor perspective whether the person who locked an e-bike or e-scooter near an at-capacity station is a member or not. And waiving the charge for non-members would make the system more attractive to visitors, which might boost revenue for the system in the long run.
Not to toot our own bicycle horn, but Streetsblog Chicago may have helped make this change happen by tweeting out an SBC reader's suggestion for the exact same policy last January, and tagging Divvy and CDOT. "Divvy has the tools to alleviate [the problem of at-capacity stations]," the reader wrote us. "Let e-bikes and scooters park within X feet of the dock... without charging the fee." Other Divvy users made similar recommendations on social media.
"As bike ridership and Divvy use continue to grow across Chicago, we're committed to enhancing the system to be even more user-friendly and accessible," said CDOT Commissioner Tom Carney in a press release about the parking policy change. "This new member benefit directly responds to feedback from riders and will be especially useful at our busiest stations. With the Democratic National Convention bringing tens of thousands of people to Chicago [this] week, Divvy bikes and scooters offer a fantastic, car-free way for visitors and residents to get around. We're pleased to continually improve the system to better serve everyone in the city."
The new policy was announced along with an update on Divvy's ongoing expansion across Chicago. Two weeks ago on August 5, in conjunction with the opening of the nifty new $80 million CTA Damen Green Line station at Lake Street and Damen Avenue on the Near West Side, Divvy installed its 1,000th station there.
While this installation coincided with Divvy removing an existing station a block north of the new 'L' stop, CDOT Coordinating Planner Kyle Peppin assured Streetsblog the system would still have 1,000 stations. "The old station at Damen and Walnut is being sited at one of the Divvy expansion locations," he said. "Those are generally south of 95th Street, so Roseland, West Pullman, East Side."
"Congratulations to Divvy and the Chicago Department of Transportation on the remarkable milestone of installing their 1,000th docking station at the newly opened Damen Green Line CTA station," said Active Transportation Alliance Communications Director Ted Villaire in a statement to Streetsblog. "This achievement not only signifies the growth and success of the Divvy bike-share system, but also highlights the commitment to providing accessible and sustainable transportation options across Chicago. Looking forward, we are eager to see the continued expansion of the Divvy network with the planned addition of over 400 new docking stations in the coming years."
"We’re also glad to see the bike-sharing program waiving the $1.20 out-of-dock parking fee as long as the member parks within 130 feet of a full station," Villaire added. "Given how often the busier stations are full with docked bikes, this seems like a needed step."
CDOT's and Divvy's goal is to have at least four stations per square mile citywide. They say the system reached a record ridership high in 2023 with 6.6 million bike and scooter trips, adding that the system is on track to provide even more rides in 2024.
"The recent expansion of the Divvy bike and scooter system, along with the elimination of out-of-station docking fees for e-bikes and e-scooters [for members], is a positive step toward reducing the financial barriers that limit access to transportation for many Chicagoans," said Equiticity Director of Advocacy and Movement Building Jose Manuel Almanza. "This move is especially significant in Black and Brown neighborhoods, where transportation options have historically been limited. By making Divyy a little more affordable, we can expect to see an increase in ridership in these communities, empowering residents with greater mobility and fostering healthier, more connected neighborhoods."
"Much more needs to be done to reduce the overall financial burden and the lack of infrastructure in our underserved communities," Almanza added. "We must continue to advocate for policies that prioritize affordability and safety through infrastructure, ensuring that everyone, regardless of their income or neighborhood, can benefit from a transportation system that is equitable, inclusive, and just."
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