[Post author: Lauren Murphy]
Throughout the city of Chicago, Divvy bicycle-sharing has become increasingly more prevalent since its launch in late June of 2013. This Chicago Department of Transportation program promotes sustainable public transportation by offering 3,000 bicycles at 300 stations located in many neighborhoods across the city. This fall, Illinois Governor Pat Quinn announced a state investment of $3 million to the program, which will provide an additional 70 stations and 700 bicycles through out Evanston, Oak Park, and Chicago. Combined with additional contributions from Evanston, Oak Park, and Chicago, totaling an additional $750,000 to the program, 175 docking stations and 1750 bikes will be added to the program by Spring 2015. Although Divvy has already been a huge success, expanding the program outside the city limits, to Oak Park and Evanston, takes more cars off the roads while simultaneously providing a larger group of people with sustainable means of transportation around the city and its surrounding areas.
Chicago is by far not the first city to introduce bike sharing. Many cities around the world, including Minneapolis, Washington DC, and London, have begun to introduce and expand similar programs. The increasing popularity and demand of such bike sharing programs could contribute greatly to decreases in traffic and carbon emissions, while increasing residents’ desires for a healthier, more sustainable lifestyle.
More information about the program, pricing, and riding tips for newcomers can all be found on the Divvy website. With these recent plans for additions to the program, Divvy has begun to relocate several current stations to minimize distance from one station to another, so current Divvy riders may need to check for updates in order to find their relocated station.