The City of Chicago is extending its contract with Divvy as the network of rentable bikes, e-bikes and scooters plans to bring changes to its system, including discounted pricing on the South and West sides and updates to its equipment.
Divvy, operated by Lyft, had a city contract set to expire in January 2028. That has now been extended to January 2033, the city announced Wednesday.
The bikes originally launched in 2013 and use has steadily grown since then, with the company reporting 6.8 million rides last year.
“As we continue to make equitable investments to build safer streets throughout our neighborhoods, we are committed to keeping transportation affordable and reliable while modernizing the system to provide residents and visitors with a safe, accessible, and dependable way to get where they need to go,” Mayor Brandon Johnson said in a news release.
Advocacy groups like Better Streets Chicago and the Active Transportation Alliance celebrated the proposed extension.
“We support a renewal that deepens affordability for everyday riders, strengthens the station network where Chicagoans need it most, raises safety standards in the public right-of-way, sustains local and union jobs, and maintains strong public accountability through CDOT oversight,” the groups said in a statement.
Divvy will introduce a 50% discount on non-member rides that start or end on the South and West Sides, a plan that Ald. Daniel La Spata (1st) said “is about making sure the system continues to work for more people in more neighborhoods.”
The company is launching other cost-saving measures for customers, too. The price for annual memberships will be frozen, and scooter pricing reduced, the release said. The company will cap price increases throughout the duration of the contract.
Thousands more e-bikes and scooters will be added under the new contract and a new model of the classic bike will be introduced. That model adds a cable lock and rear wheel immobilizers.
Divvy also aims to simplify parking by adding overflow and “virtual stations” — public bike racks where Divvy bikes and scooters can be kept, allowing users to end trips even when the Divvy station they want to use is full.
Divvy plans to expand its “Core Area,” the high-use locations in the city where the company will add more classic bikes, e-bikes, scooters and station docks. More than 100 union jobs will be added with this part of the contract, the release said.
The contract extension still requires City Council approval.