1001 Smart Cities
🇺🇸 Chicago

Divvy: City-Owned Bike Share & Open Trip Data

🤖 AI-generated summary · ◆ 13 sourced claims · 🔎 Last verified

This overview was generated with AI from the public sources listed below and checked against them before publication. It has not had a complete human fact-check — treat it as a starting point and follow the sources.

13 sourced claims on this page, none individually verified yet — turn on “Sources in the text” to see each one.

How this atlas is made · What “last verified” means · What “source-checked” means · The full record behind this page

✎ Corrected 13 Oct 2026 Operator changed. · 2 revisions in all What changed →

CDOT bought the bikes and docks with federal air-quality money and still owns them; Lyft only operates. Any fare rise above 10 percent a year needs the city's approval, leverage New York never bought.

Outcome🔄 Ongoing
Evidence🏛️ Official
what does this mean?The strongest source is the operator's or the city's own reporting — an official report, dataset or press release. It grades who did the looking — not how well the project went. All four grades →
Run byLyft Bikes and Scooters, LLC, under contract to the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT), which owns the bikes and stations; field operations are subcontracted to Shift Transit
Scale🏙️ City-wide
Cost$18M federal CMAQ grant toward a $27.5M launch; $50M Lyft capital commitment in 2019, more than $60M invested by 2026 according to the city
FundingFederal CMAQ grant plus city tax-increment financing at launch; since 2019 Lyft capital and sponsorship, with the operator paying the city $6M a year rising 4% annually, $77M over nine years

Part of 1001 Smart Cities — 1,216 documented projects · 🏙️ 7 more in Chicago · 🚲 Cycling guide · 🚲 Mobility projects

Chicago owns Divvy: CDOT bought the bikes and docks with $18 million of federal air-quality money in 2013 and still owns them; Lyft only operates them. The 2019 exclusivity deal pays the city $77 million over nine years and caps fare rises at 10 percent a year — above that, CDOT must approve. A 45-minute member e-bike ride is capped at $6.

Live 📅 since 2013

📊 Impact

6.8 million Divvy trips in 2025, the system's highest annual ridership, on a network that reached all 50 wards in 2023 and about 1,136 stations across Chicago and Evanston. In September 2026 the city proposed a five-year extension that would run Lyft's contract, due to expire in January 2028, to January 2033, with a 50 percent discount on non-member rides starting or ending on the South and West Sides; on 9 October 2026 a City Council committee deferred the vote, 8 to 4, while Lime warned it might leave Chicago if the deal passed.

🎓 Lesson

Owning the hardware is what buys a city leverage. Chicago bought its fleet with federal money and can pull any fare rise above 10 percent to the table; New York, which pays nothing, says it cannot touch Citi Bike's prices until its contract ends.

🚲 MobilityCyclingShared mobilityOpen data

Sources

↗ Divvy — About (operator)The ownership sentence the entry turns on: 'Divvy is a program of the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT), which owns the city's bikes, stations and vehicles.' Also confirms Lyft manages operations, that start-up capital came from federal congestion and air-quality grants plus city tax-increment financing, and the 2016 extension into Evanston.
↗ Chicago Sun-Times — City Council makes Lyft exclusive operator of Divvy for nine years (10 April 2019)Updated 15 April 2019The contract terms: nine-year exclusivity, a $50 million investment in new bikes, stations and hardware, $77 million to the city over nine years earmarked for transportation projects, and at least $1.5 million a year from advertising. Carries the price-control clause verbatim: 'Lyft would be free to raise bike-sharing rates, but only up to 10% per year. Anything above that must be approved by the Chicago Department of Transportation.'
↗ Chicago Sun-Times — Divvy prices increasing nearly 10% in February (8 January 2024)Shows the cap working as a ceiling the operator rides up to: rises of 'nearly 10% — the maximum yearly hike allowed without requiring city approval', a third consecutive annual increase, with Divvy for Everyone held at $5. It dates Lyft's deal 'through 2027' and records the ward milestone: Lyft 'agreed to add stations to all 50 wards by 2021, and finally accomplished that last May', that is May 2023.
↗ Divvy — Changes to bike and scooter prices in 2026 (operator)Current price schedule, effective 11 March 2026: member e-bikes $0.19 to $0.20 per minute with 'Rides between 31' to 45 minutes capped at $6.00'; classic bikes $0.20 per minute after the included 45 minutes; day pass to $19.90.
↗ Divvy — Pricing (operator)Full current fares: single ride $1 plus $0.20 a minute, annual membership $143.90 ($99 for new and lapsed riders), non-member e-bikes $1 unlock plus $0.44 a minute, and the $5 Divvy for Everyone annual membership for qualifying residents in Chicago and Evanston.
Show 11 more sourcesShow fewer
↗ Divvy — Data License AgreementThe licence deed, and the difference from New York: 'The City of Chicago owns all right, title, and interest in the Data', not the operator. It grants a non-exclusive, royalty-free, limited, perpetual licence for any lawful purpose but forbids hosting, streaming, publishing, distributing, sublicensing or selling the data as a stand-alone dataset, bars data mining, and bars correlating the data with customer identities.
↗ Divvy — System data (operator)What is actually published: monthly trip files with start and end time, start and end station and rider type (member, single ride, day pass), with staff trips and trips under 60 seconds removed, plus a live GBFS station feed.
↗ Sustainability — A Tale of Two Divvys: The Bicycle Sharing System of Chicago (peer-reviewed, 2024)Published 5 March 2024Qualitative case study of Divvy, the independent counterweight. It credits the early system's success to the city's policy, its 'funding and ownership structure' and station siting that balanced demand with locational equity, and dates the threat to 'changes in the ownership structure since 2018'. Its verdict on the Lyft era: the system, 'refocused on more profitable e-bike and e-scooter rentals in privileged neighborhoods', 'may actually contribute to a systematic exclusion of poorer neighborhoods and less privileged residents of Chicago.' Also cited for the $18 million CMAQ launch grant, the 2015 start of the $5 Divvy for Everyone membership and the 2015-16 expansion into Englewood, Humboldt Park and North Lawndale.
↗ Block Club Chicago — Divvy to add over 200 stations, from downtown to the Far South Side (17 March 2026)Published 17 March 2026Currency check: 6.8 million Divvy trips in 2025, 'the system's highest annual ridership'; over 200 new or upgraded stations in 2026; unlock fees removed for trips starting in Equity Priority Areas on the far south, south, west and northwest sides; Divvy for Everyone still $5.
↗ Wikipedia — DivvyTimeline cross-check: June 2013 launch, the operator chain Alta Bicycle Share (2012-2014), Motivate (2014-2019) and Lyft since 2019, city payments of $6 million a year rising 4 percent, and 1,136 stations across Chicago and Evanston as of November 2025. Note it gives 750 bikes at 75 stations on day one where the peer-reviewed paper says 100 stations; the entry claims neither.
↗ City of Chicago, CDOT — Divvy (official)The city's own page: 'Divvy is Chicago’s city-owned bike and scooter sharing system', 'operated under contract by Lyft'. Dates the citywide milestone — 'As of May 2023, Divvy is available in all 50 wards' — and gives a June 2024 fleet of more than 17,000 bikes, 1,500 e-scooters and 950 docking stations.
↗ Streetsblog Chicago — Divvy expanding to 475, possibly 550, docking stations (6 November 2013)Launch finance: 'The $27.5 million cost of launching the first 400 stations was bankrolled by $18 million in CMAQ money and $4 million in federal Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery funds, plus $5.5 million in local dollars', plus a further $3 million CMAQ grant for 75 more stations.
↗ City of Chicago — Mayor, CDOT and Lyft introduce Divvy contract extension (23 September 2026)The city introduced an ordinance for a five-year extension, 'authorized under the current contract', that 'would extend Lyft’s agreement to operate the City’s Divvy system into 2033', taking effect in 2028. Terms: a 50% discount on non-member rides starting or ending on the South and West Sides (104 square miles), an extended membership price freeze, lower member scooter prices and 'reduced caps' on annual price rises; 4,000 more e-bikes and scooters, 2,000 upgraded classic bikes and 4,000 more docks. Puts the network at 'over 1,100 Divvy stations', says Lyft has invested 'more than $60 million' since 2019, cites 'a record 6.8 million rides in 2025' and one-million-ride months in July and August 2026, and names Shift Transit as Lyft's operations subcontractor.
↗ Chicago Sun-Times — Chicago extends Divvy contract; parking changes, new bike model coming (23 September 2026)Reports the proposed extension under a headline that calls it done: Divvy 'had a city contract set to expire in January 2028. That has now been extended to January 2033, the city announced Wednesday.' Quotes Better Streets Chicago and the Active Transportation Alliance in support.
↗ Streetsblog Chicago — Divvy/Lyft contract extension committee vote deferred (9 October 2026)The City Council's Pedestrian and Traffic Safety Committee deferred its preliminary vote on the extension: 'committee members voted eight to four to defer the motion.' Lime, Divvy's only remaining competitor, 'has indicated it might leave Chicago if the City Council approves' the extension, which would widen the Divvy Core Area where Lime may place at most 4 percent of its vehicles. Describes Divvy as 'owned by the City of Chicago, overseen by the Chicago Department of Transportation, and managed by Lyft'.
↗ Streetsblog NYC — advocates seek a $3 e-bike price cap (16 June 2026)New York comparison: 'New York City does not provide a public subsidy for Citi Bike', and 'DOT officials argued that they can’t implement a cap or make changes until the bike share contract is up for renewal in 2029'. Also says Chicago 'launched an operating subsidy last year for Divvy', spending $550,000 to freeze membership rates and expand discounted subscriptions.

📅 How old is the evidence?

Two clocks, kept apart: when this entry’s sources were published, and what has happened to its record in the atlas. Documented span: since 2013. 9 of 16 sources carry a publication date, from 6 November 2013 to 9 October 2026.

When the sources were published

  1. Streetsblog Chicago · pressStreetsblog Chicago — Divvy expanding to 475, possibly 550, docking stations (6 November 2013)
  2. Chicago Sun-Times · pressChicago Sun-Times — City Council makes Lyft exclusive operator of Divvy for nine years (10 April 2019) · updated 15 April 2019
  3. Chicago Sun-Times · pressChicago Sun-Times — Divvy prices increasing nearly 10% in February (8 January 2024)
  4. MDPI · researchSustainability — A Tale of Two Divvys: The Bicycle Sharing System of Chicago (peer-reviewed, 2024)
  5. Block Club Chicago · pressBlock Club Chicago — Divvy to add over 200 stations, from downtown to the Far South Side (17 March 2026)
  6. Streetsblog NYC · pressStreetsblog NYC — advocates seek a $3 e-bike price cap (16 June 2026)
  7. City of Chicago · city governmentCity of Chicago — Mayor, CDOT and Lyft introduce Divvy contract extension (23 September 2026)
  8. Chicago Sun-Times · pressChicago Sun-Times — Chicago extends Divvy contract; parking changes, new bike model coming (23 September 2026)
Show 1 more dated sourcesShow fewer
  1. Streetsblog Chicago · pressStreetsblog Chicago — Divvy/Lyft contract extension committee vote deferred (9 October 2026)

Every source, with links ↑

What happened to this record

  1. Entered the record
  2. Publication date recorded for 10 sources
  3. Operator changed
  4. Sources last read

Every revision, permanent →

Show your work What this page rests on and what it can’t tell you · all 13 claims with their sources · the forensic record

Evidence file · public beta 13 addressable claims, 16 source dossiers, one permanent baseline. The file is unreviewed — an AI-assisted structural migration, not a human or expert endorsement. Every revision keeps a permanent copy under revision history.

Inspect the claims, one by one — verbatim text, sources and caveats for all 13

The text below is copied verbatim from the published record. Each claim names the source dossiers that carry it; caveats stay attached to the claim they qualify.

Claim 1 clm-41d0958199cf25c9 quantitative
Chicago owns Divvy: CDOT bought the bikes and docks with $18 million of federal air-quality money in 2013 and still owns them; Lyft only operates them
Published field
snippet · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
The operator's own page states it: 'Divvy is a program of the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT), which owns the city's bikes, stations and vehicles', with Lyft managing operations and start-up capital coming from federal congestion and air-quality grants plus city tax-increment financing. Contemporary reporting gives the figure: the $27.5 million launch of the first 400 stations 'was bankrolled by $18 million in CMAQ money', with $4 million in other federal funds and $5.5 million in local money.
Caveat
The $18 million was the largest share, not the whole bill: the launch cost $27.5 million, with $4 million more from a federal recovery grant and $5.5 million in local funds.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Divvy — About (operator)
  2. Streetsblog Chicago — Divvy expanding to 475, possibly 550, docking stations (6 November 2013)
  3. Sustainability — A Tale of Two Divvys: The Bicycle Sharing System of Chicago (peer-reviewed, 2024)
Claim 2 clm-263a7f8244de8b17 quantitative
The 2019 exclusivity deal pays the city $77 million over nine years and caps fare rises at 10 percent a year — above that, CDOT must approve
Published field
snippet · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
The contract terms are nine-year exclusivity, a $50 million investment in new bikes, stations and hardware, $77 million to the city over nine years earmarked for transportation projects, and at least $1.5 million a year from advertising. The price-control clause is carried verbatim: 'Lyft would be free to raise bike-sharing rates, but only up to 10% per year. Anything above that must be approved by the Chicago Department of Transportation.'
Caveat
Later reporting gives the contract's end as January 2028; an extension proposed in September 2026 would run it to January 2033.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Chicago Sun-Times — City Council makes Lyft exclusive operator of Divvy for nine years (10 April 2019)
Claim 3 clm-fbdace8f998558f9 quantitative
A 45-minute member e-bike ride is capped at $6.
Published field
snippet · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
The price schedule effective 11 March 2026 sets member e-bikes at $0.19 to $0.20 per minute with rides between 31 and 45 minutes capped at $6.00, and the fare page repeats it: 'Free unlocks + $0.20/min (Capped at $6.00 for minutes 31 to 45)'. The same page gives single rides at $1 plus $0.20 a minute, the annual membership at $143.90 and a $5 Divvy for Everyone membership for qualifying residents.
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Divvy — Changes to bike and scooter prices in 2026 (operator)
  2. Divvy — Pricing (operator)
Claim 4 clm-bf5b09648595427f quantitative
6.8 million Divvy trips in 2025, the system's highest annual ridership
Published field
impact · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
Local press, citing the city's release, reports 'Divvy users took 6.8 million trips in 2025, the system’s highest annual ridership'. The city's September 2026 release repeats it: Lyft's investment 'enabled Divvy to deliver a record 6.8 million rides in 2025'.
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Block Club Chicago — Divvy to add over 200 stations, from downtown to the Far South Side (17 March 2026)
  2. City of Chicago — Mayor, CDOT and Lyft introduce Divvy contract extension (23 September 2026)
Claim 5 clm-aef50c10dc630432 quantitative
on a network that reached all 50 wards in 2023
Published field
impact · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
The city's Divvy page dates the milestone: 'As of May 2023, Divvy is available in all 50 wards'. The Sun-Times adds that the 2019 deal had set 2021 as the deadline: Lyft 'agreed to add stations to all 50 wards by 2021, and finally accomplished that last May'.
Caveat
Two years late against the contract: the 2019 deal had set 2021 for citywide coverage.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. City of Chicago, CDOT — Divvy (official)
  2. Chicago Sun-Times — Divvy prices increasing nearly 10% in February (8 January 2024)
Claim 6 clm-bb6125b16ab5758f quantitative
about 1,136 stations across Chicago and Evanston
Published field
impact · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
A tertiary timeline gives 1,136 stations across Chicago and Evanston as of November 2025, along with the operator chain — Alta Bicycle Share 2012-2014, Motivate 2014-2019, Lyft since 2019 — and city payments of $6 million a year rising 4 percent.
Caveat
Tertiary source, hedged with 'about' in the entry for that reason. The city's own September 2026 release rounds the network to 'over 1,100 Divvy stations'.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Wikipedia — Divvy
Claim 7 clm-727d9be57d3c5c36 quantitative
In September 2026 the city proposed a five-year extension that would run Lyft's contract, due to expire in January 2028, to January 2033
Published field
impact · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
The city introduced an ordinance on 23 September 2026 for a five-year extension, 'authorized under the current contract', that 'would extend Lyft’s agreement to operate the City’s Divvy system into 2033'. The Sun-Times gives both dates: Divvy 'had a city contract set to expire in January 2028', and the extension runs to January 2033.
Caveat
The Sun-Times headline calls the contract extended; the city's release says an ordinance was introduced, and the Council had not voted by early October 2026.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. City of Chicago — Mayor, CDOT and Lyft introduce Divvy contract extension (23 September 2026)
  2. Chicago Sun-Times — Chicago extends Divvy contract; parking changes, new bike model coming (23 September 2026)
Claim 8 clm-99238ba2f4821d2e quantitative
with a 50 percent discount on non-member rides starting or ending on the South and West Sides
Published field
impact · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
The city's release lists 'a new 50% discount on non-member rides starting or ending in neighborhoods on the South and West Sides', covering 104 square miles, alongside an extended membership price freeze, lower member scooter prices and 'reduced caps' on annual price rises during the extension term.
Caveat
A term of the proposed extension, not yet in force: the city says Lyft will apply the pricing protections from 2027.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. City of Chicago — Mayor, CDOT and Lyft introduce Divvy contract extension (23 September 2026)
Claim 9 clm-06030a628238a2b7 quantitative
on 9 October 2026 a City Council committee deferred the vote, 8 to 4
Published field
impact · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
At the Pedestrian and Traffic Safety Committee hearing an alderman moved to defer, and 'committee members voted eight to four to defer the motion'; the report expects the extension could come back at the next month's hearing.
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Streetsblog Chicago — Divvy/Lyft contract extension committee vote deferred (9 October 2026)
Claim 10 clm-b40289e4dc2c03c5 descriptive
while Lime warned it might leave Chicago if the deal passed
Published field
impact · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
Lime, 'Divvy’s only remaining competitor', 'has indicated it might leave Chicago if the City Council approves a proposed five-year contract extension with Lyft', objecting that a wider Divvy Core Area, where Lime may place at most 4 percent of its vehicles, would give one operator near-complete control.
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Streetsblog Chicago — Divvy/Lyft contract extension committee vote deferred (9 October 2026)
Claim 11 clm-2188c4f936284ca5 descriptive
Owning the hardware is what buys a city leverage.
Published field
lesson · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
The city owns the bikes, stations and vehicles, and the 2019 contract gives it an approval right over any fare rise above 10 percent a year. The data deed points the same way: 'The City of Chicago owns all right, title, and interest in the Data', not the operator.
Caveat
Ownership is leverage, not a guarantee of equity. The peer-reviewed assessment of the Lyft era finds a system 'refocused on more profitable e-bike and e-scooter rentals in privileged neighborhoods' that 'may actually contribute to a systematic exclusion of poorer neighborhoods and less privileged residents of Chicago'.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Divvy — About (operator)
  2. Chicago Sun-Times — City Council makes Lyft exclusive operator of Divvy for nine years (10 April 2019)
  3. Sustainability — A Tale of Two Divvys: The Bicycle Sharing System of Chicago (peer-reviewed, 2024)
Claim 12 clm-182bfea984ce0f50 quantitative
Chicago bought its fleet with federal money and can pull any fare rise above 10 percent to the table
Published field
lesson · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
The cap is real and the operator rides up to it: a 2024 rise of 'nearly 10% — the maximum yearly hike allowed without requiring city approval', the third consecutive annual increase, with the $5 Divvy for Everyone membership held flat.
Caveat
A ceiling the operator reaches every year is a weaker instrument than it looks. What the city has is a seat at the table above 10 percent, not a say below it.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Chicago Sun-Times — Divvy prices increasing nearly 10% in February (8 January 2024)
  2. Chicago Sun-Times — City Council makes Lyft exclusive operator of Divvy for nine years (10 April 2019)
Claim 13 clm-82c80c88cd3aced6 descriptive
New York, which pays nothing, says it cannot touch Citi Bike's prices until its contract ends
Published field
lesson · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
Streetsblog NYC reports that 'New York City does not provide a public subsidy for Citi Bike', and that 'DOT officials argued that they can’t implement a cap or make changes until the bike share contract is up for renewal in 2029'.
Caveat
The same report notes that Chicago itself began paying Divvy an operating subsidy in 2025, $550,000 to freeze membership rates and widen discounts — so the contrast is ownership and contract terms, not whether a city spends money.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Streetsblog NYC — advocates seek a $3 e-bike price cap (16 June 2026)
Forensic record — source dossiers, gaps, hashes and the exact revision this page renders

This layer records what is known about each source, what is still missing, and the exact snapshot this page is rendering. A missing date, archive or hash stays visible as missing.

unreviewed Revision 2026-10-13-deep-run effective 2026-10-13 · created 2026-10-13

Awaiting operator and domain-expert review; publication of this revision implies neither.

sha256:40092a2848bd760bf0a983462141289f3d36d7d8c1e77eb08bcf94782e59d0aa
Revision history → Permanent version link → Machine-readable record → Evidence Constitution →
13
of 13 claims mapped
16
source dossiers
9
publication dates recorded
0
archives linked
0
exact locators
0
content captures hashed

Governance facts carried by the record

Operator
Lyft Bikes and Scooters, LLC, under contract to the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT), which owns the bikes and stations; field operations are subcontracted to Shift Transit
Actor types
private
Funding model
ppp
Funding description
Federal CMAQ grant plus city tax-increment financing at launch; since 2019 Lyft capital and sponsorship, with the operator paying the city $6M a year rising 4% annually, $77M over nine years
Cost
$18M federal CMAQ grant toward a $27.5M launch; $50M Lyft capital commitment in 2019, more than $60M invested by 2026 according to the city
Ownership
Not recorded
Decision rights
Not recorded
Exit conditions
Not recorded

16 source dossiers

Divvy — About (operator) divvybikes.com · 2 linked claims

Open original source ↗

Stable source ID
src-467ced0b2e0391bb
Publisher
Name not classified · divvybikes.com
Type / language
web-page · language not classified
Published
Not recorded
Updated
Not recorded
Source last checked
No source-level check date
Record last verified
2026-10-13
Dossier created
2026-10-13
Retrieved copy
No local capture recorded
Archive
No archived copy linked
Content hash
No captured content hash
Locator
Open the recorded source note

The ownership sentence the entry turns on: 'Divvy is a program of the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT), which owns the city's bikes, stations and vehicles.' Also confirms Lyft manages operations, that start-up capital came from federal congestion and air-quality grants plus city tax-increment financing, and the 2016 extension into Evanston.

Descriptive only — not page/paragraph exact
Claims linked
Chicago Sun-Times — City Council makes Lyft exclusive operator of Divvy for nine years (10 April 2019) chicago.suntimes.com · 3 linked claims

Open original source ↗

Stable source ID
src-a71badd3b35d7f7d
Publisher
Name not classified · chicago.suntimes.com
Type / language
web-page · language not classified
Published
2019-04-10
Updated
2019-04-15
Source last checked
No source-level check date
Record last verified
2026-10-13
Dossier created
2026-10-13
Retrieved copy
No local capture recorded
Archive
No archived copy linked
Content hash
No captured content hash
Locator
Open the recorded source note

The contract terms: nine-year exclusivity, a $50 million investment in new bikes, stations and hardware, $77 million to the city over nine years earmarked for transportation projects, and at least $1.5 million a year from advertising. Carries the price-control clause verbatim: 'Lyft would be free to raise bike-sharing rates, but only up to 10% per year. Anything above that must be approved by the Chicago Department of Transportation.'

Descriptive only — not page/paragraph exact
Claims linked
Chicago Sun-Times — Divvy prices increasing nearly 10% in February (8 January 2024) chicago.suntimes.com · 2 linked claims

Open original source ↗

Stable source ID
src-aa40063724982878
Publisher
Name not classified · chicago.suntimes.com
Type / language
web-page · language not classified
Published
2024-01-08
Updated
Not recorded
Source last checked
No source-level check date
Record last verified
2026-10-13
Dossier created
2026-10-13
Retrieved copy
No local capture recorded
Archive
No archived copy linked
Content hash
No captured content hash
Locator
Open the recorded source note

Shows the cap working as a ceiling the operator rides up to: rises of 'nearly 10% — the maximum yearly hike allowed without requiring city approval', a third consecutive annual increase, with Divvy for Everyone held at $5. It dates Lyft's deal 'through 2027' and records the ward milestone: Lyft 'agreed to add stations to all 50 wards by 2021, and finally accomplished that last May', that is May 2023.

Descriptive only — not page/paragraph exact
Claims linked
Divvy — Changes to bike and scooter prices in 2026 (operator) divvybikes.com · 1 linked claim

Open original source ↗

Stable source ID
src-c22907b84033ea5d
Publisher
Name not classified · divvybikes.com
Type / language
web-page · language not classified
Published
Not recorded
Updated
Not recorded
Source last checked
No source-level check date
Record last verified
2026-10-13
Dossier created
2026-10-13
Retrieved copy
No local capture recorded
Archive
No archived copy linked
Content hash
No captured content hash
Locator
Open the recorded source note

Current price schedule, effective 11 March 2026: member e-bikes $0.19 to $0.20 per minute with 'Rides between 31' to 45 minutes capped at $6.00'; classic bikes $0.20 per minute after the included 45 minutes; day pass to $19.90.

Descriptive only — not page/paragraph exact
Claims linked
Divvy — Pricing (operator) divvybikes.com · 1 linked claim

Open original source ↗

Stable source ID
src-4656709e935f2573
Publisher
Name not classified · divvybikes.com
Type / language
web-page · language not classified
Published
Not recorded
Updated
Not recorded
Source last checked
No source-level check date
Record last verified
2026-10-13
Dossier created
2026-10-13
Retrieved copy
No local capture recorded
Archive
No archived copy linked
Content hash
No captured content hash
Locator
Open the recorded source note

Full current fares: single ride $1 plus $0.20 a minute, annual membership $143.90 ($99 for new and lapsed riders), non-member e-bikes $1 unlock plus $0.44 a minute, and the $5 Divvy for Everyone annual membership for qualifying residents in Chicago and Evanston.

Descriptive only — not page/paragraph exact
Claims linked
Divvy — Data License Agreement divvybikes.com · background

Open original source ↗

Stable source ID
src-355a1fd5d16bf193
Publisher
Name not classified · divvybikes.com
Type / language
web-page · language not classified
Published
Not recorded
Updated
Not recorded
Source last checked
No source-level check date
Record last verified
2026-10-13
Dossier created
2026-10-13
Retrieved copy
No local capture recorded
Archive
No archived copy linked
Content hash
No captured content hash
Locator
Open the recorded source note

The licence deed, and the difference from New York: 'The City of Chicago owns all right, title, and interest in the Data', not the operator. It grants a non-exclusive, royalty-free, limited, perpetual licence for any lawful purpose but forbids hosting, streaming, publishing, distributing, sublicensing or selling the data as a stand-alone dataset, bars data mining, and bars correlating the data with customer identities.

Descriptive only — not page/paragraph exact
Claims linked
Background source; no baseline claim points here
Divvy — System data (operator) divvybikes.com · background

Open original source ↗

Stable source ID
src-b178f45afa047f9c
Publisher
Name not classified · divvybikes.com
Type / language
web-page · language not classified
Published
Not recorded
Updated
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Source last checked
No source-level check date
Record last verified
2026-10-13
Dossier created
2026-10-13
Retrieved copy
No local capture recorded
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What is actually published: monthly trip files with start and end time, start and end station and rider type (member, single ride, day pass), with staff trips and trips under 60 seconds removed, plus a live GBFS station feed.

Descriptive only — not page/paragraph exact
Claims linked
Background source; no baseline claim points here
Sustainability — A Tale of Two Divvys: The Bicycle Sharing System of Chicago (peer-reviewed, 2024) mdpi.com · 2 linked claims

Open original source ↗

Stable source ID
src-d69ed51dbd81e4e9
Publisher
Name not classified · mdpi.com
Type / language
web-page · language not classified
Published
2024-03-05
Updated
Not recorded
Source last checked
No source-level check date
Record last verified
2026-10-13
Dossier created
2026-10-13
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Qualitative case study of Divvy, the independent counterweight. It credits the early system's success to the city's policy, its 'funding and ownership structure' and station siting that balanced demand with locational equity, and dates the threat to 'changes in the ownership structure since 2018'. Its verdict on the Lyft era: the system, 'refocused on more profitable e-bike and e-scooter rentals in privileged neighborhoods', 'may actually contribute to a systematic exclusion of poorer neighborhoods and less privileged residents of Chicago.' Also cited for the $18 million CMAQ launch grant, the 2015 start of the $5 Divvy for Everyone membership and the 2015-16 expansion into Englewood, Humboldt Park and North Lawndale.

Descriptive only — not page/paragraph exact
Claims linked
Block Club Chicago — Divvy to add over 200 stations, from downtown to the Far South Side (17 March 2026) blockclubchicago.org · 1 linked claim

Open original source ↗

Stable source ID
src-3bbc08cac24e2a67
Publisher
Name not classified · blockclubchicago.org
Type / language
web-page · language not classified
Published
2026-03-17
Updated
Not recorded
Source last checked
No source-level check date
Record last verified
2026-10-13
Dossier created
2026-10-13
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Open the recorded source note

Currency check: 6.8 million Divvy trips in 2025, 'the system's highest annual ridership'; over 200 new or upgraded stations in 2026; unlock fees removed for trips starting in Equity Priority Areas on the far south, south, west and northwest sides; Divvy for Everyone still $5.

Descriptive only — not page/paragraph exact
Claims linked
Wikipedia — Divvy en.wikipedia.org · 1 linked claim

Open original source ↗

Stable source ID
src-dd4d32622461e89c
Publisher
Name not classified · en.wikipedia.org
Type / language
web-page · language not classified
Published
Not recorded
Updated
Not recorded
Source last checked
No source-level check date
Record last verified
2026-10-13
Dossier created
2026-10-13
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No archived copy linked
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Timeline cross-check: June 2013 launch, the operator chain Alta Bicycle Share (2012-2014), Motivate (2014-2019) and Lyft since 2019, city payments of $6 million a year rising 4 percent, and 1,136 stations across Chicago and Evanston as of November 2025. Note it gives 750 bikes at 75 stations on day one where the peer-reviewed paper says 100 stations; the entry claims neither.

Descriptive only — not page/paragraph exact
Claims linked
City of Chicago, CDOT — Divvy (official) chicago.gov · 1 linked claim

Open original source ↗

Stable source ID
src-55286760c59c95a6
Publisher
Name not classified · chicago.gov
Type / language
web-page · language not classified
Published
Not recorded
Updated
Not recorded
Source last checked
No source-level check date
Record last verified
2026-10-13
Dossier created
2026-10-13
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Open the recorded source note

The city's own page: 'Divvy is Chicago’s city-owned bike and scooter sharing system', 'operated under contract by Lyft'. Dates the citywide milestone — 'As of May 2023, Divvy is available in all 50 wards' — and gives a June 2024 fleet of more than 17,000 bikes, 1,500 e-scooters and 950 docking stations.

Descriptive only — not page/paragraph exact
Claims linked
Streetsblog Chicago — Divvy expanding to 475, possibly 550, docking stations (6 November 2013) chi.streetsblog.org · 1 linked claim

Open original source ↗

Stable source ID
src-efb287f0594f96d5
Publisher
Name not classified · chi.streetsblog.org
Type / language
web-page · language not classified
Published
2013-11-06
Updated
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Record last verified
2026-10-13
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2026-10-13
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Open the recorded source note

Launch finance: 'The $27.5 million cost of launching the first 400 stations was bankrolled by $18 million in CMAQ money and $4 million in federal Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery funds, plus $5.5 million in local dollars', plus a further $3 million CMAQ grant for 75 more stations.

Descriptive only — not page/paragraph exact
Claims linked
City of Chicago — Mayor, CDOT and Lyft introduce Divvy contract extension (23 September 2026) chicago.gov · 3 linked claims

Open original source ↗

Stable source ID
src-6c202a7e3f6097ed
Publisher
Name not classified · chicago.gov
Type / language
web-page · language not classified
Published
2026-09-23
Updated
Not recorded
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Record last verified
2026-10-13
Dossier created
2026-10-13
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The city introduced an ordinance for a five-year extension, 'authorized under the current contract', that 'would extend Lyft’s agreement to operate the City’s Divvy system into 2033', taking effect in 2028. Terms: a 50% discount on non-member rides starting or ending on the South and West Sides (104 square miles), an extended membership price freeze, lower member scooter prices and 'reduced caps' on annual price rises; 4,000 more e-bikes and scooters, 2,000 upgraded classic bikes and 4,000 more docks. Puts the network at 'over 1,100 Divvy stations', says Lyft has invested 'more than $60 million' since 2019, cites 'a record 6.8 million rides in 2025' and one-million-ride months in July and August 2026, and names Shift Transit as Lyft's operations subcontractor.

Descriptive only — not page/paragraph exact
Claims linked
Chicago Sun-Times — Chicago extends Divvy contract; parking changes, new bike model coming (23 September 2026) chicago.suntimes.com · 1 linked claim

Open original source ↗

Stable source ID
src-6e8b62ceba932bb8
Publisher
Name not classified · chicago.suntimes.com
Type / language
web-page · language not classified
Published
2026-09-23
Updated
Not recorded
Source last checked
No source-level check date
Record last verified
2026-10-13
Dossier created
2026-10-13
Retrieved copy
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Reports the proposed extension under a headline that calls it done: Divvy 'had a city contract set to expire in January 2028. That has now been extended to January 2033, the city announced Wednesday.' Quotes Better Streets Chicago and the Active Transportation Alliance in support.

Descriptive only — not page/paragraph exact
Claims linked
Streetsblog Chicago — Divvy/Lyft contract extension committee vote deferred (9 October 2026) chi.streetsblog.org · 2 linked claims

Open original source ↗

Stable source ID
src-fb9c859942c8e968
Publisher
Name not classified · chi.streetsblog.org
Type / language
web-page · language not classified
Published
2026-10-09
Updated
Not recorded
Source last checked
No source-level check date
Record last verified
2026-10-13
Dossier created
2026-10-13
Retrieved copy
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Archive
No archived copy linked
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Open the recorded source note

The City Council's Pedestrian and Traffic Safety Committee deferred its preliminary vote on the extension: 'committee members voted eight to four to defer the motion.' Lime, Divvy's only remaining competitor, 'has indicated it might leave Chicago if the City Council approves' the extension, which would widen the Divvy Core Area where Lime may place at most 4 percent of its vehicles. Describes Divvy as 'owned by the City of Chicago, overseen by the Chicago Department of Transportation, and managed by Lyft'.

Descriptive only — not page/paragraph exact
Claims linked
Streetsblog NYC — advocates seek a $3 e-bike price cap (16 June 2026) nyc.streetsblog.org · 1 linked claim

Open original source ↗

Stable source ID
src-9b261836d7871759
Publisher
Name not classified · nyc.streetsblog.org
Type / language
web-page · language not classified
Published
2026-06-16
Updated
Not recorded
Source last checked
No source-level check date
Record last verified
2026-10-13
Dossier created
2026-10-13
Retrieved copy
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No archived copy linked
Content hash
No captured content hash
Locator
Open the recorded source note

New York comparison: 'New York City does not provide a public subsidy for Citi Bike', and 'DOT officials argued that they can’t implement a cap or make changes until the bike share contract is up for renewal in 2029'. Also says Chicago 'launched an operating subsidy last year for Divvy', spending $550,000 to freeze membership rates and expand discounted subscriptions.

Descriptive only — not page/paragraph exact
Claims linked
Known limits of this file
  • Publisher names and source languages have not yet been classified; domains are recorded without guessing.
  • Existing source notes are descriptive locators, not page- or paragraph-exact citations.
  • A missing archive, publication date or content hash is shown as null rather than inferred.
  • The project-level evidence grade ranks the strongest source in the entry; it is not a truth score for every claim.

Continue exploring

Compare this project

🇺🇸 Citi Bike Docked Bike Share & Open Trip Data · New York City New York owns none of its bikes and says it cannot touch the fares; Chicago bought the fleet in 2013 and caps rises at 10% a year. 🇺🇸 Bluebikes: Bike Share Owned by Thirteen Municipalities · Boston The one-owner version: Chicago's CDOT owns Divvy outright and negotiates with Lyft alone — no regional council in between. 🇩🇰 Bycyklen: Tablet-and-GPS Bike-Share · Copenhagen Copenhagen's fleet died with its operator in 2022; Chicago's outlived three — Alta, Motivate, Lyft — because the city owns the bikes.

Who owns the bikes?

Four North American bike shares, all operated by the same company, all owned differently. Ownership decides who sets the fares, who may expand, and who is allowed to publish the trip data — none of which a rider can see from the dock.

ProjectSinceStatusOutcomeEvidenceRun byCostWho owns what
Divvy: City-Owned Bike Share & Open Trip DataChicago, 🇺🇸 2013 Live Ongoing Official Private company $18M federal CMAQ grant toward a $27.5M launch; $50M Lyft capital commitment in 2019, more than $60M invested by 2026 according to the city One city department owns bikes and docks, bought with federal money; the operator only operates.
Bluebikes: Bike Share Owned by Thirteen MunicipalitiesBoston, 🇺🇸 2011 Live Ongoing Official Private company $4.5M in grants at launch, including $3M in Federal Transit Administration money for the region Thirteen town halls own the system together, so the region needed a planning agency to write the agreement and run the procurement.
Capital Bikeshare: a bike share owned by eight local governmentsWashington D.C., 🇺🇸 2010 Live Ongoing Official Private company, City government not public Eight governments across two state lines each buy their own docks — and the data licence names them, not the operator, as the owner.
BIXI Montréal: city-owned bikes, non-profit operator, operator-held dataMontreal, 🇨🇦 2009 Live Ongoing Official Civil society CAD 108M 2011 bailout (CAD 37M loan plus CAD 71M in guarantees); CAD 11.9M paid for the local assets in 2014; CAD 5.5M/yr city development envelope 2026-2028 The city owns the bikes and docks, but the copyright in the trip data sits with the operator — the exact inverse of Toronto.

Explore the wider context

🔑 Your Smart City Is Owned by Someone Else📖 Geofencing📖 15-minute city📖 Building performance standard (BPS)
📎 Cite this project

1001 Smart Cities (2026). “Divvy: City-Owned Bike Share & Open Trip Data” — Chicago, United States. The Smart City Atlas. https://1001smartcities.org/projects/chicago-divvy-bikeshare/ (last verified 2026-10-13). Data: CC BY 4.0.

The underlying data is free to reuse with attribution — see the open data page.

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