Divvy bike sharing program arrives in Oak Park

Getting around Oak Park by bike is becoming easier than ever for residents and visitors alike thanks to the arrival of the Divvy bike share program.

The first of 13 Divvy stations was expected to begin operating in July, along with a dozen others in high-traffic locations throughout the Village, as Oak Park joined the bike share program with the largest geographic reach in North America.

Oak Park stations are being located strategically near the CTA Green Line and Metra tracks downtown and the CTA Blue Line and Interstate 290 in south Oak Park, as well as along Madison Street and near the Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio. Stations also are planned for by the Dole Branch of the Oak Public Library and West Suburban Medical Center in northeast Oak Park.

Each Divvy docking site has an automated pay station that allows cyclists to rent bikes 24 hours a day, seven days a week, year-round. Riders can purchase an annual membership or simply buy a 24-hour pass. Bikes can be picked up at one station and dropped off at another.

Divvy has been operating in Chicago neighborhoods since its launch in 2013, but began an aggressive expansion this year that includes Oak Park and Evanston, as well as dozens of new locations in neighborhoods on the city’s west, south and far north sides.

When the expansion is complete in July, Divvy will have more than 580 stations and 5,800 bikes spread across more than 100 square miles of Chicagoland, making it the largest and most diverse bike share system in North America.  

Divvy’s expansion into Oak Park and Evanston was made possible by a grant from the Illinois Department of Transportation, with Chicago and the two suburban communities each providing a 20 percent local share for their stations and bikes.

Oak Park has a long tradition of encouraging safe cycling with bicycle friendly share the road signs at all major community entry points, marked dedicated and shared bicycle lanes on numerous streets and bike racks located throughout the community.

The community’s committment to encouraging wider use of bicycles led the national bicycling advocacy League of American Bicyclists to designate Oak Park as a Bicycle Friendly Community in 2015.

For more information about bicycling in Oak Park and the Village’s comprehensive Bicycle Plan, visit www.oak-park.us/bicycling.

How Divvy Works
Divvy bikes are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, year-round. Each station has a touchscreen kiosk, station map and a docking system that releases bikes using a member key or ride code. Here’s how to use Divvy:

• Join: Purchase an annual membership online for $9.95 per month ($99 a year if paid in advance) or get a 24-hour pass from any Divvy station for $9.95. Oak Park residents can call 708.358.7275 or email parking@oak-park.us for a coupon code for a discount on an annual membership. Annual members receive a unique Divvy key in the mail after completing the application. You must be 16 years or older to ride Divvy.
• Take: Annual members insert the key into the slot at any station with an available bike. Purchasers of a 24-hour pass receive a code to type into the keypad on any dock with an available bike.
• Ride: 30-minute, unlimited trips are offered for the duration of the membership or pass to run an errand, grab a bite to eat or commute to work or school. Trips that last longer than 30 minutes incur usage fees.
• Return: Lock the bike back at any station. Wait for the green light to confirm the bike is secure. Divvy crews constantly monitor and balance stations to make sure they are neither full nor empty.
• Repeat: Take as many trips as you want during the membership or pass period.

For more information, visit www.DivvyBikes.com.