EVANSTON, ILLINOIS - Next week, Divvy Bike Share will officially roll into Evanston,
with 100 Divvy bikes and 10 bike share stations being installed in locations
strategically chosen to provide residents, visitors and students with an
additional two-wheeled transportation option. Divvy allows riders to get
quickly from Point A to Point B, and is intended for short trips within
Evanston or across Divvy’s network of more than 580 Chicagoland stations.
Divvy
memberships provide riders with 24/7 access to
bikes in Chicago, Evanston and Oak Park. Riders can seamlessly take a bike from
any station anywhere in the network and return it to any other station.
Divvy now joins other regional bike share networks operated
by Motivate International, Inc., including Citi Bike, Hubway, Capital Bike
Share and Bay Area Bike Share, in providing a transportation network that serves
residents across municipal boundaries with one single, seamless membership.
“I’m excited to welcome the Divvy Bike Share program to
Evanston,” said Evanston Mayor Elizabeth Tisdahl. “Divvy provides community
members and visitors access to an easy, healthy, affordable and environmentally friendly way to complete
their last mile of travel or an option for quick trips around town.”
The Divvy Bike Share system advances Evanston’s goal of
having safe, integrated, and accessible transportation options available to all.
The City has already built more than 50 miles of bike facilities, including protected bike lanes, signed bike routes, and off-street bike paths, and continues
to expand and improve its system. From 2000 to 2010, Evanston’s recorded number
of bicycle commuters increased by almost 50 percent.
“The launch
of Divvy in Evanston speaks to the number and variety of bike
riders in Evanston,” said Tom Witt, President for the Evanston Bicycle
Club. “Divvy will work in tandem with other City programs and
projects such as Pedal Bright, Bike the Ridge and the new Dodge Avenue Protected
Bike Lane to encourage cycling both for recreation and for practical
purposes, such as commuting. The Evanston Bicycle Club is proud to be a part of
the diverse cycling community in Evanston and we look forward
to continuing to support an environment that is safe, comfortable and
convenient for all road users.”
Evanston has gained the support of sponsors,
including Northwestern University, NorthShore University HealthSystem, Valli
Produce, and Presence Saint Francis Hospital, to increase the number of
stations and contribute to the financial sustainability of the system.
“Northwestern
University is happy and pleased to contribute to the Divvy bike program in the
City of Evanston,” said Alan Anderson, executive director of Neighborhood and
Community Relations at Northwestern University. "We look forward to having
our students, faculty and staff join Evanston residents in seeing the community
on two wheels. The University is committed to working with our neighbors
in Evanston to engage with the City in ways that make it better for
everyone."
How to Use Divvy Evanston residents can sign up for memberships at DivvyBikes.com. Pricing across Evanston
and Chicago are the same, with an annual membership cost of $99, or monthly
installments of $9.95 with an annual commitment. Members are entitled to
unlimited use of the system for individual bike trips of up to 30 minutes.
Members using Divvy bikes for longer periods will be charged incremental usage
fees. There is also a 24-hour pass option for $9.95 for those visiting Evanston
or trying the system for occasional use. The 24-hour pass allows unlimited use
of the system for a 24-hour period, with trips over 30 minutes incurring
incremental usage fees.
Corporate and community memberships are also available. With
these memberships, companies and organizations can offer their employees and
members discounted or subsidized membership. More information is available at divvybikes.com/pricing/corporate-memberships.
In
addition to expanding into Evanston this summer, the program is also opening 13
new stations in Oak Park as well as more than 85 new locations in neighborhoods
on Chicago’s west, south and far north sides. Divvy’s expansion into Oak Park
and Evanston is made possible by a grant from the Illinois Department of
Transportation, with Chicago, Evanston and Oak Park each providing the required
20 percent local cost share match for their stations and bikes. Evanston
was selected based on the goal of developing a network that balances access to
transit, geography and population reach. Station locations were determined by
gathering data from a survey during the City’s Bike Plan Update, a Northwestern
University Industrial Engineering capstone project, a community meeting, an
online survey (with over 1,000 respondents), and paper surveys provided at the
Levy Senior Center and the Evanston Public Library’s Main Library.
Divvy currently covers the largest service area of any bike
share in North America and Divvy riders have taken over 7 million trips since
the service launched in 2013. Evanston and Oak Park are the first Chicago
suburbs to be able to enjoy bike share, thanks to a grant from the State of
Illinois.
Evanston Station
Locations Information on station locations can be found at DivvyBikes.com/evanston.
-
Benson Ave. &
Church St.: Located in downtown Evanston, adjacent to the Davis Street CTA
Purple Line and Metra Stations, this station provides connections for riders
looking to access transit stations from the numerous restaurants, entertainment
venues, shops, and employment opportunities in the downtown area.
-
Chicago Ave. &
Washington St.: Just steps away from the Main Street CTA Purple Line and
Metra Stations, this station serves the vibrant Main-Dempster Mile commercial
district and is located less than half a mile away from the lakefront park
system.
-
Sherman Ave. &
Austin St.: Adjacent to Presence Saint Francis Hospital and within walking
distance to the South Boulevard CTA Purple Line Station, community members will
be able to use this station to connect to the neighborhood parks of south
Evanston and the services and employment opportunities provided by Presence
Saint Francis Hospital.
-
Evanston Plaza -
Dodge Ave.: Nestled within the commercial center of west Evanston, the
station, located within Evanston Plaza, is a short walk to a multitude of
retail stores and bus connections along both Dempster Street and Dodge Avenue.
-
Church St. &
Dodge Ave.: Immediately to the west of downtown and along the 2016 Dodge
Avenue protected bike lane, this station will serve community members traveling
to Evanston Township High School and the various community centers nearby.
-
Central Street
Metra: Situated in the heart of the Central Street commercial corridor,
this station will serve riders connecting by Metra Rail to north Evanston.
-
Central St. &
Girard Ave.: Adjacent to the Central Street CTA Purple Line Station and
NorthShore Evanston Hospital, this station will connect community members and
visitors traveling between the Central Street CTA and Metra stations.
-
Chicago Ave. &
Sheridan Rd.: Steps from the southern entrance to Northwestern University’s
Evanston Campus, this station will connect riders traveling between Evanston’s
downtown, Northwestern, and the lakefront’s recreational opportunities.
-
Sheridan Rd. &
Noyes St.: Located along the western edge of Northwestern University’s
Evanston Campus and a five-minute walk from the Noyes Street CTA Purple Line
Station, this station serves community members looking to access Northwestern’s
Campus or connect to the downtown or Central Street stations. This station is
possible through the support of Northwestern University.
-
University Library:
Northwestern students, faculty and staff and campus visitors will be able to
travel to the heart of Northwestern's Evanston Campus to access the arts and
cultural resources of the Arts Circle and the educational resources of the
adjacent University Library and Norris University Center. This station is
possible through the support of Northwestern University.
View a map of Evanston Divvy Bike Share station locations. For more information about Evanston’s Divvy Bike Share
program, please call/text 847-448-4311. For convenience, residents may simply
dial 3-1-1 in Evanston.
About Divvy Divvy is Chicagoland’s bike share system with thousands of
bikes available at more than 580 stations across the region. Divvy provides
residents and visitors with a convenient, fast, fun and affordable
transportation option for getting from Point A to Point B. For more information
and a map of station locations, visit DivvyBikes.com.
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois is the exclusive System Sponsor of
Divvy.
|