Station Opens Ahead of Crosstown Classic; Divvy Offering Valet Drop-off Service for all Four Games on the South and North Sides
CHICAGO–(ENEWSPF)–July 25, 2016. As Chicago baseball fans are gearing up for this year’s Crosstown Classic between the White Sox and the Cubs, Mayor Emanuel today announced a new Divvy bike share station is open outside U.S. Cellular Field, giving fans another fun and easy way to get to the games. Located at 35th Street and Wentworth, the new location is one of 85 new bike stations that Divvy has installed in Chicago in the last two months as it has built on its status as the geographically largest bike share system in North America.
“This week, all eyes in Chicago will be on the great Crosstown Classic rivalry between the White Sox and Cubs, so we are very excited to announce a new Divvy station on the South Side right outside the home of the White Sox,” Mayor Emanuel said. “Divvy is an important mode of transportation that supports our environment and a key reason why Chicago has become one of the most bike-friendly cities in the country.”
In order to guarantee Divvy Riders will have a spot to drop-off their bikes once they arrive at the game, Divvy is offering its Valet Service at all four games in the Crosstown Classic, at both U.S. Cellular Field and Wrigley Field. With the Valet Service, attendants are deployed to ensure that Divvy riders have a guaranteed dock available. Valet Service will be offered at the locations and times below:
- Monday 7/25: 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. @ Wentworth & 35th Street
• Tuesday 7/26: 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. @ Wentworth & 35th Street
• Wednesday 7/27: 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. @ Sheffield & Addison
• Thursday 7/28: 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. @ Sheffield Addison
“CDOT is thrilled to be able to offer fans a new, easy way to get to the ballpark,” CDOT First Deputy Commissioner Randy Conner said. “Whether you are on the South Side, the West Side or the North Side, our goal is to provide Chicagoans with a healthy and fun new transportation option.”
“Divvy is proud to extend our expanded Valet Service for Summer 2016 to serve White Sox fans,” Divvy general manager Elliot Greenberger said. “We want Divvy riders to know that they can rely on Divvy to get to large events, knowing that they can beat the traffic and have a guaranteed drop-off for their Divvy bike when they arrive.”
CDOT recently installed new curb-protected bike lanes on 31st Street through from Michigan to LaSalle Street through the IIT campus. There are also protected bike lanes on Halsted and on Martin Luther King Drive near U.S. Cellular Field.
“The Illinois Sports Facilities Authority is pleased to bring Divvy to U.S. Cellular Field,” said Lou Bertuca, executive director for Illinois Sports Facility Authority, the agency that manages the ballpark. “Our guests now have another transportation option to get to and from our ballpark conveniently. It’s not only a great way to enjoy the city’s summer weather, but also an environmentally friendly option too.”
Divvy, which is owned by the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) and operated by the bike share company Motivate International, Inc., has completed the second major expansion since the system was launched in 2013. New stations have been installed in neighborhoods including Austin and Garfield Park on the west side; Burnside, Chatham, Greater Grand Crossing, Brighton Park and Englewood on the south side; and Rogers Park on the far north side. Divvy has increased its service area from 86 square miles to over 100 square miles in Chicago and has will have increased the city’s population served from 56 percent to 63.8 percent, or 1.73 million people.
Since the system’s launch in June 2013, Divvy riders have taken more than 8 million trips and ridership is up 45 percent year-to-date over 2015. More than 750,000 Chicagoans and visitors have used Divvy, and there are more than 35,000 current annual members. Over 1,400 Chicago residents have signed up via the Divvy for Everyone (D4E) program. With this expansion, Divvy will become even more accessible to Chicagoans of all income levels, with over 5,800 bikes system-wide.
Divvy has played an important role in Chicago’s transformation into one of the most bike friendly cities in America. Bicycling Magazine named Chicago the #2 Bike-Friendly City in their latest rankings in 2014 and the number of Chicagoans riding their bikes to work is at an all-time high and growing faster than any other mode of transportation in the city. Since 2011, Chicago has installed 108 miles of barrier and buffer protected bicycle lanes and now has 290 miles of designated bike routes.
For more information and to stay updated on expansion progress, visit DivvyBikes.com/expansion and follow Divvy on Facebook (Facebook.com/divvybikes) and Twitter (Twitter.com/divvybikes).
About Divvy
Divvy is Chicago’s newest transit system, giving Chicago residents and visitors a bike on-demand at hundreds of stations across the city. Intended to provide an additional transportation option for getting around, Divvy is a convenient, fast, fun and affordable. For more information and a map of station locations, visit www.DivvyBikes.com. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois is the exclusive System Sponsor of Divvy.
Source: www.cityofchicago.org
