1001 Smart Cities

Permanent project revision

Divvy: City-Owned Bike Share & Open Trip Data

Revision 2026-08-20-claim-baseline · effective 2026-07-26

Superseded. A later revision exists: 2026-08-21-source-dates →

unreviewed

Created the first structured Evidence Passport with 8 claims and 10 source dossiers.

sha256:53602ac6ac941fbaac559e6f5d3e791bc512c6b20bdd7b5d9c942dddde4f40ca
All revisions → Current entity page →

Change set

  • add /evidencePassport — Added claim-level evidence mapping and source dossiers.
  • add /revisionHistory — Established a permanent, hash-addressed baseline revision.
8
of 8 claims mapped
10
source dossiers
3
publication dates recorded
0
archives linked
0
exact locators
0
content captures hashed

Claims, one by one

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 passport
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. The peer-reviewed account supplies the figure: an $18 million CMAQ launch grant.
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Divvy — About (operator)
  2. 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 passport
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
The end year is left open in the entry on purpose: one report dates the contract 'through 2027', while other reporting on the 2019 amendment implies 2028.

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 passport
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' to 45 minutes capped at $6.00'. The full fare page gives the rest: single ride $1 plus $0.20 a minute, annual membership $143.90, non-member e-bikes $1 unlock plus $0.44 a minute, 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 passport
What the mapping says
Local press reports 6.8 million Divvy trips in 2025, described as the system's highest annual ridership, alongside over 200 new or upgraded stations planned for 2026 and unlock fees removed for trips starting in Equity Priority Areas on the far south, south, west and northwest sides.
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)
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 passport
What the mapping says
The expansion history is documented — the 2016 extension into Evanston, and the 2015-16 expansion into Englewood, Humboldt Park and North Lawndale — and continues, with over 200 new or upgraded stations planned for 2026.
Caveat
None of the listed sources carries the citywide 50-ward milestone or its date. The clause should be re-sourced or dropped at the entry's next revision.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Divvy — About (operator)
  2. Sustainability — A Tale of Two Divvys: The Bicycle Sharing System of Chicago (peer-reviewed, 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 passport
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 same page gives a day-one count of 750 bikes at 75 stations where the peer-reviewed paper says 100 stations; the entry claims neither.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Wikipedia — Divvy
Claim 7 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 passport
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 contribute to 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 8 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 passport
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)

Source dossiers and revision state

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 2026-08-20-claim-baseline effective 2026-07-26 · created 2026-08-21

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

sha256:53602ac6ac941fbaac559e6f5d3e791bc512c6b20bdd7b5d9c942dddde4f40ca
Revision history → Permanent version link → Machine-readable record → Evidence Constitution →
8
of 8 claims mapped
10
source dossiers
3
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
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 at launch; $50M Lyft capital investment from 2019
Ownership
Not recorded
Decision rights
Not recorded
Exit conditions
Not recorded

10 source dossiers

Divvy — About (operator) divvybikes.com · 3 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
2026-07-26
Dossier created
2026-08-21
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
Not recorded
Source last checked
No source-level check date
Record last verified
2026-07-26
Dossier created
2026-08-21
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 · 1 linked claim

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
2026-07-26
Dossier created
2026-08-21
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. Confirms Divvy for Everyone stayed at $5. This source dates the contract 'through 2027'; other reporting on the 2019 amendment implies 2028, so the entry does not assert an end year.

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
2026-07-26
Dossier created
2026-08-21
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
2026-07-26
Dossier created
2026-08-21
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
2026-07-26
Dossier created
2026-08-21
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
Not recorded
Source last checked
No source-level check date
Record last verified
2026-07-26
Dossier created
2026-08-21
Retrieved copy
No local capture recorded
Archive
No archived copy linked
Content hash
No captured content hash
Locator
Open the recorded source note

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 · 3 linked claims

Open original source ↗

Stable source ID
src-d69ed51dbd81e4e9
Publisher
Name not classified · mdpi.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
2026-07-26
Dossier created
2026-08-21
Retrieved copy
No local capture recorded
Archive
No archived copy linked
Content hash
No captured content hash
Locator
Open the recorded source note

The independent counterweight, and the source 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. Its verdict on the Lyft era: the system, 'refocused on more profitable e-bike and e-scooter rentals in privileged neighborhoods, may contribute to systematic exclusion of poorer neighborhoods and less privileged residents of Chicago.'

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
2026-07-26
Dossier created
2026-08-21
Retrieved copy
No local capture recorded
Archive
No archived copy linked
Content hash
No captured content hash
Locator
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
2026-07-26
Dossier created
2026-08-21
Retrieved copy
No local capture recorded
Archive
No archived copy linked
Content hash
No captured content hash
Locator
Open the recorded source note

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
Known limits of this passport
  • 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.