Divvy Celebrates Five Years in Chicago
June 25, 2018
More than 1 million riders have been served by Divvy, with more than 15 million rides taken since 2013
Mike Claffey/CDOT 312.744.0707 | Michael.claffey@cityofchicago.org
Aonya McCruiston/Divvy 310.901.3191 | aonya@berlinrosen.com
Divvy to Celebrate Milestone with Free 5 Year Birthday Party open to the public, series of Divvy Adventure & 5 Days of Giveaways for annual members
CHICAGO – Divvy, Chicago’s bike share network, announced it is celebrating its fifth anniversary with a free birthday bash at Maggie Daley Park on Sunday, July 1, as well as five adventure bike tours and five days of freebies.
Since launching on June 28, 2013, Divvy has more than eight times the number of bikes and stations. Divvy now has over 570 stations and 6,000 bikes, extending for more than 100 square miles of Chicago and Evanston. The Divvy system has topped more than 20,000 rides on peak days. The most popular stations are Clinton & Washington (Ogilvie Metra Station) on weekdays and Streeter & Grand (Navy Pier) on weekends.
Over the last five years, Divvy has become an integral part of Chicago’s transportation network, with 37,000 members, 1 million unique riders and over 15 million rides. Riders burned more than 1.2 billion calories—equivalent to three million slices of deep dish pizza—since Divvy’s launch.
“Congratulations to Divvy for a fantastic first five years in which it has helped make Chicago the Best Bike City in America,” Mayor Rahm Emanuel said. “Divvy is a great asset to Chicago and it has made it not just a great bicycling city, but a cleaner, greener and healthier city.”
Divvy is operated by the bike share company Motivate International, Inc. under contract with the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT).
“Five years ago, Divvy brought the convenience, sustainability, and fun of bikeshare to Chicago and changed the way people explore the city,” said Jay Walder, President and CEO of Divvy operator Motivate. “With all that Divvy has accomplished in the past five years, we look forward to even more great things to come.”
“CDOT is proud to be celebrating Divvy’s fifth anniversary,” said CDOT Commissioner Rebekah Scheinfeld. “In just five years, Divvy has grown up to become one of North America’s largest bike share systems and it has become a vital part of Chicago’s robust transportation network. We look forward to continuing to expand the Divvy system.”
“On Divvy’s fifth birthday, we celebrate our loyal riders and Divvy’s growth into an integral part of transportation in our great city,” said Michael Critzon, Divvy General Manager. “We also celebrate our public and private partnerships which made it possible to expand across Chicago and Evanston, and introduce even more people to bikeshare.”
Divvy sponsor Blue Cross Blue Shield will be celebrating Divvy’s fifth birthday this Thursday with a special lighted message on their building.
“Our support of safe biking aligns with our commitment to make Illinois a healthier place, to live, work and play,” said Maurice Smith, president of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois. “Happy birthday to Divvy and congratulations to all those who are making choices, like biking, that are good for their health – and the health of the environment.”
Divvy is committed to making bike share accessible and equitable. In 2015, Divvy launched the $5 annual Divvy for Everyone (D4E) membership for low-income riders. Since then, Divvy has partnered with dozens of schools and community partners including Chicago HOPES for Kids, ComEd, People Gas, CEDA of Cook County to host community rides and spread the word about the program. More than 3,400 people have signed up for Divvy for Everyone memberships since the program began. The D4E program was developed and launched with support from the Better Bike Share Partnership and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois.
Five Year Anniversary Celebration
To mark Divvy’s 5th Birthday, Chicago elected officials, Divvy leadership, riders and community members will gather for Divvy’s birthday bash held at Maggie Daley Park on July 1 starting at 12pm. The event will kick off with an awards ceremony for Divvy’s top riders, including those who have take the most trips, system “night owls” who ride at night, and other unique awards. The event will continue with lawn games, DJs, cookie decorating and more! The first 500 guests will receive a free commemorative tote bag to mark the special occasion. RSVP at DivvyBikes.com/5Years.
Five Year Anniversary Adventures
Divvy has partnered with Adventure Cycling Tours for five adventures throughout Chicago. Along with Adventure Cycling’s Tim Limon, special guests will lead unique bike tours of Chicago’s hidden gems. Space is limited, and pre-registration is required. Divvy bikes will be provided on a first-come first-served basis. RSVP at DivvyBikes.com/5Years
Divvy has partnered with Adventure Cycling Tours for five adventures throughout Chicago. Along with Adventure Cycling’s Tim Limon, special guests will lead unique bike tours of Chicago’s hidden gems. Space is limited, and pre-registration is required. Divvy bikes will be provided on a first-come first-served basis. RSVP at DivvyBikes.com/5Years
● Divvy HQ Tour & Hubbard Street Mural Tour- July 7 This adventure ride features a tour of Divvy Headquarters where riders can witness what happens behind the scenes to maintain Divvy’s vast fleet of blue bikes. Riders will also tour the historic Hubbard Mural System in search of hidden offbeat street art.
● Chicago’s River Bridges - July 8 On this adventure, riders will explore Chicago’s iconic river bridge system with Patrick T. McBriarty, author of the Chicago River Bridges. Starting with an amazing view of the Amtrak Vertical Lift Bridge at Ping Tom Memorial Park and concluding at the McCormick Bridgehouse & Chicago River Museum, this ride along the Chicago river system will highlight the architecture and history of Chicago bridges.
● Northside Murals & Street Art - July 14 Riders will take in the murals and street art in the northern neighborhoods between Edgewater and Evanston on this adventure. This adventure is led by local resident cyclist David Gebhart who currently curates and leads the annual Chicago Perimeter Ride.
● Pilsen Murals - July 15 This adventure features Pilsen murals and street art to highlight the history and culture of this unique southside neighborhood.
● Pothole Art Tour - July 29 Led by local artist Jim Bachor, this adventure ride will tour and share the back stories behind Chicago’s mosaic-filled potholes. Riders will also hear about Jim’s experience creating these beautiful contributions to Chicago streets.
Five Days of Freebies
Following the birthday party, for the first week of July, active Divvy members are eligible for freebies from local favorites. Members who show their key fob or their app profile page at will receive a:
● Free cold brew from Dollop – Monday, July 2
● Free single ride from Chicago Water Taxi – Tuesday, July 3
● Free ice cream code from Jeni’s – Wednesday, July 4
● Free chips and guac from Chipotle – Thursday, July 5 2:00 - 5:00 p.m.
● Free single ride code sent via email from Divvy - Friday, July 6th
About Divvy:
Divvy is Chicagoland’s bike share system, giving Chicago and Evanston residents and visitors access to thousands of bikes at hundreds of stations across the region. Intended to provide additional options for getting around and exploring the city, Divvy is convenient, fast, fun and affordable. Divvy is North America’s largest bike share system based on service area, thanks in part to the support and sponsorship of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois. For more information and a map of station locations, visit www.DivvyBikes.com.