New Divvy bike-share stations are now open at several busy locations along the lakefront, the city announced Monday.
The five new Divvy stations are all located downtown or along Chicago’s north lakefront. Two new stations are located in Grant Park at DuSable Lake Shore Drive and Jackson Drive, and at DuSable Lake Shore Drive and Balbo Drive. Two stations were added at North Avenue Beach, including one at the pedestrian bridge there. The fifth new station is at the Lincoln Park Zoo.
“The addition of these new stations will improve bike availability where demand is highest, strengthen system operations, and create a better experience for everyone who chooses Divvy,” said Chicago Department of Transportation commissioner William Cheaks in a statement.
The new stations were installed throughout July, according to CDOT spokesperson Erica Schroeder. In an email, she said the city now has 15 Divvy stations along or near the lakefront trail between Ardmore Avenue to the north and 71st Street to the south, in addition to other stations near lakefront destinations like beaches.
In a news release, the mayor’s office said the area around North Avenue Beach in particular “has consistently been the highest-demand location for a new Divvy station anywhere in Chicago.”
CDOT oversees the city’s bike-share program, which is operated under contract by Lyft. Also Monday, the city announced new Divvy parking rules for a congested stretch of the lakefront between Fullerton Parkway and Grand Avenue.
Riders parking along that stretch — which spans generally from North Avenue Beach to Navy Pier — will now be required to park either at a Divvy station, at “overflow corrals” located directly next to Divvy stations or at designated public bike racks marked within the Divvy app as an approved place to park.
According to Divvy, riders may be charged a fine for ending a ride outside of an approved location — although no fines will be issued during the “first few weeks” of the rule change, starting Monday.
The city has installed 124 new Divvy stations so far this year, according to the mayor’s office. One of those stations is a new e-bike charging station near the Obama Presidential Center, which the city said is the first Divvy charging station on the city’s South Side.
According to the city, riders recorded more than one million Divvy trips in July, making it the program’s busiest month in Chicago since it launched in 2013.
