Business

Divvy Announces Upgraded Downtown Stations, Discounted Memberships for New and Returning Riders

Chicago’s bike share system Divvy will soon offer reduced annual membership costs to new and returning members, in addition to launching upgraded Divvy stations downtown to improve bike parking capacity, officials announced Thursday.

Starting Monday, the price for an annual Divvy membership, currently $143.90, will be reduced to $99 for new and lapsed members. Eligible lapsed, or returning, Divvy members are those whose annual membership has expired for at least 30 days.

Current Divvy members will continue to be charged $143.90 for an annual membership.

In addition, 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 and reduce overcrowding, according to a spokesperson for the Chicago Department of Transportation.

As part of the process, some of the older downtown Divvy stations will be relocated to other neighborhoods or decommissioned as needed, according to CDOT.

Other Divvy upgrades, launching Monday, include:

• Fee relief: Unlock fees for non-members will be removed for trips beginning in designated “equity priority areas,” to help reduce barriers to bike share access.
• Pricing caps: Trips for members between 30-45 minutes will be capped at the cost of a 30-minute ride, in an effort to provide more predictable pricing for longer rides.
• More ride options: Introduction of “classic mode” for members, allowing riders to choose between full e-bike assistance or reduced assistance with classic pedal bike feel and pricing when traditional bikes aren’t available.
• Trip pausing: Members riding e-bikes will have the ability to pause their trips for up to 15 minutes.

“Divvy is one essential piece of a well-rounded multi-modal transportation system, and it’s exciting to see CDOT expand Divvy’s footprint while reducing the barriers to entry,” Better Streets Chicago strategic advisor Alex Nelson said in a statement. “We hope to see this trend continue as Chicagoans continue to explore alternatives to cars in their lives.”

In addition, slight pricing increases will take effect to account for inflation, according to the city.

Member classic trips longer than 45 minutes will increase by one cent, to $0.19/minute. Scooter prices for members will increase from $0.29/minute to $0.31/minute. Day pass, single trip classic rates and member e-bike trips will increase from $0.18/minute to $0.19/minute, according to a news release.

Divvy, started in 2013, is a bike and scooter sharing system owned by the city of Chicago and operated by the ride-sharing company Lyft. As of last summer, the system had more than 17,000 bikes, 1,500 e-scooters and 950 docking stations, according to the city.

Contact Eunice Alpasan: [email protected]

---