Good afternoon fellow longtime Divvy bike-share enthusiasts. I've got some good news and some bad news for you.
The good news: According to the City, significant upgrades and perks are coming to the system, including $99 annual memberships. That's almost a $45 reduction from the current $143.90 yearly cost, roughly a 31 percent discount.
The bad news: Anyone who's already been a member during the last month, let alone the last twelve years since Divvy launched in 2013 (guilty as charged!), is ineligible for the $99 price cut.
More on that in a bit. First, let's discuss the good stuff.
Mayor Brandon Johnson and Lyft, the Divvy concessionaire, announced the upgrades on Thursday, right before the long Fourth of July weekend. The benefits kicked in today.
According to the press release, these include "reduced annual membership costs for new and lapsed Divvy members." It added that, "Additional updates include capped e-bike fees, new 'densified' stations to improve bike availability during rush hour, and elimination of unlock fees in key equity-focused zones."
According to the release, the new practices and policies will be subsidized by more than $3 million in City funds. Sure, some motorheads will argue that's a waste of money, since in April, Mayor Johnson warned that Chicago was facing a billion dollar budget deficit next year. But investments in sustainable transportation like this tend to pay for themselves, since they help reduce the costs associated with car crashes, pollution, traffic jams, and more.
The upgrades include (with the City's words in quotes):
- "Membership access: Annual membership pricing reduced to $99 for new and lapsed members."
- "Equity-focused fee relief: For non-members, unlock fees are removed for trips beginning in Equity Priority Areas, reducing barriers to bike share access."
- "Affordable trip caps: Trips for members between 30-45 minutes will be capped at the cost of a 30-minute ride, providing predictable pricing for longer rides." This refers to e-bike rides, since rides on the blue non-electric up to 45 minutes are free for members. E-bike trips for members are $0.19 per minute, so a 30 minute costs $5.70.
- "More parking capacity: 750 new docks will be added downtown, providing riders with docks and devices when they need them most in the densest parts of Chicago." Great idea, because currently it can challenging to find a place to park a non-electric bike in the Loop during the morning rush, and it's often tough to find a Divvy bike or scooter downtown much after 5 p.m.
- "Enhanced options: Introduction of 'low assist mode' for members, allowing riders to choose between full e-bike assistance or reduced assistance with Classic [blue, non-electric] pedal bike feel and pricing when traditional bikes aren't available. Members riding e-bikes will also have the ability to pause their trips for up to 15 minutes." These sound like great options, since since many members would appreciate getting more exercise, and/or spending zero additional money, when "acoustic" Divvies are unavailable, but electric ones are. And being able to take 15-minute break when you've got an e-bike, without paying $2.85 for that privilege, would be a good thing.
The press release mentioned some minor inflation-associated cost increases. Blue bike trips over 45 minutes now cost an extra penny per minute, with the recent $0.18 cost increased to $0.19. E-scooter rides went up from $0.29 per minute to $0.31 for members. And E-bike trips for members have increased from $0.18 a minute to $0.19.
"All enhancements will be available while supplies last, with riders able to access the new features through the Divvy and Lyft apps," the release says.
My first question for CDOT about the changes was whether the popular Divvy for Everyone (D4E) $5 annual member program for lower-income residents would still exist. Currently single Chicagoans making less than $46,950 a year are eligible.
"Yes, D4E remains an active and important Divvy program!" replied department spokesperson Erica Schroeder.
She also provided more context on the docking stations. "The 750 new docks will be used to replace and upgrade many existing Divvy stations in and around downtown with a higher-capacity design to better meet demand in the city’s busiest areas," Schroeder said. "These 'densified' stations can hold more bikes, improving availability during peak periods. As part of this process, some of the older downtown Divvy stations will be relocated to other neighborhoods or decommissioned as needed."
On Friday, I got this email from Divvy. "Hi John, your membership is set to auto-renew on August 3, 2025. To allow you to continue riding, we'll charge $143.90 plus tax per year to the payment method you have on file unless you cancel."
That's when self-interest kicked in. "For my own benefit and because SBC readers are sure to ask, is it possible for existing members to get the $99 rate when we renew, and if so how?" I asked Schroeder today. "Or does 'returning members' only mean former members who have previously cancelled their memberships? If not, could an existing member cancel their membership now and then renew at $99?"
"If not, that seems a little unfair, because members who have had continuous Divvy memberships... will be punished for their loyalty by having to pay $45 more/year than those who previously cancelled!" I griped.
"The new $99 annual membership rate is available to new members and returning members whose annual memberships have lapsed for at least 30 days," Schroeder clarified. "Existing Divvy members with active annual memberships are not eligible for the $99 rate, which is available for a limited time... This is a unique opportunity to lower the barrier to entry for new riders and encourage more Chicagoans to try out or return to bike-share. At the same time, the annual membership for existing members is staying flat at $143.90 without any year-over-year increase."
"All other improvements launching today will directly benefit current Divvy members," she noted. "We’re grateful for Divvy’s loyal and longtime riders and remain committed to delivering ongoing improvements that benefit all users."
My grumbling aside, a regular-price annual Divvy membership is still a great deal. At $143.90 plus tax, that's a year's worth of 45-minute non-electric blue bike rides, a little over twice the cost of a single $75 CTA monthly pass. So an annual Divvy membership costs roughly a sixth as much as a year of CTA rides.
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