Chicago's bike sharing program, known as Divvy, celebrates its two month anniversary this week. A spokesperson for the Chicago Department of Transportation tells ABC 7 there have not been any serious injury crashes reported to Chicago Police involving Divvy bikes.
"It's been a successful, widely popular and safe launch of this new bike sharing system," said CDOT spokesman Pete Scales. Some have raised concerns that many people who ride the borrowed bikes don't wear helmets and may not be familiar with city traffic. CDOT and its partners at Divvy encourage riders to wear helmets but do not provide them with bike rental.
Scales said the bicycles themselves are designed keep riders in an upright position so they are more visible to traffic and riders can see potential dangers. As for concerns that mixing novice riders and Chicago traffic may be an accident waiting to happen, CDOT plans to do more to keep cyclists and cars separated. In the Loop, Dearborn Street already has a protected bike lane running north and south. There are plans to add an east-west protected lane along Washington Street next year.
This week Divvy plans to open its 200th bike sharing station in Chicago. A daily pass is available for purchase at each station for $7. It allows riders an unlimited number of rides in a 24-hour period, but no individual ride can last longer than 30 minutes without accruing extra charges. Annual memberships are available for $75 at divvybikes.com.
