North Cook News

Mark Weyermuller thinks Chicago should slam the brakes on Divvy.

The Chicago small business owner and homeowner said the city should not be in the bike rental business.

Divvy bikes came to Chicago in 2013. They were the brainchild of Mayor Richard M. Daley, who was impressed by the Vélib' bicycle sharing system in Paris and wanted to bring it to Chicago.

A contract was awarded to Alta Bicycle Share in 2012. In 2013, 750 pale-blue bikes were introduced at 75 stations in Chicago. The company’s name was changed to Motivate in 2014.

In 2019, the city awarded a nine-year contract to Lyft, which purchased Motivate, to operate the biking system with a profit-sharing plan. Best known for its private ride-sharing system, Lyft promised to invest $50 million into Divvy by placing stations in all 50 wards and boosting the total number of bikes to 16,500 by 2021.

“Divvy is a fun and affordable way to get around the city, and a great alternative to the train, taxis, buses, and walking,” according to its website. “It’s designed for quick trips with convenience in mind. Use it to commute to work or school, run errands, get to appointments, and more.”

Divvy claims it now offers 6,000 bikes at 600 locations. Fees range from $1 for a single trip, $15 for the day and $49.50 for an annual pass.

“The best way to buy a pass is through the Divvy app. Purchase your pass, find a Divvy bike, scan its QR code to unlock, and be on your way in minutes,” the website states.

“If you don't have a smartphone, passes can also be purchased at any Divvy kiosk, found at most stations. See the step-by-step instructions to buy a pass at a kiosk, unlock a bike, and return a bike.”

A single ride lasts 30 minutes. Each additional half hour costs $3.

If a bike is stolen or lost, the credit card is assessed a $1,200 fee.

The annual pass does offer incentives.

“When you become a member, we’ll send you a key that unlocks thousands of bikes around Chicago and Evanston,” the website states. “You can take as many rides as you want throughout the year, and the first 45 minutes of each ride are included in your plan.”

Weyermuller said it sounds like a bad deal to him, because he thinks it forces out private competition.

“I never liked them because I don’t want government in the bike rental business,” Weyermuller said. “They say it’s private but it’s subsidized by $27 million from city and all bikes are kept on public property so it’s basically government.”

His objection to this faux private enterprise was further aggravated during the COVID-19 crisis.

“With the shutdown, it seems the bikes are unsafe with possible cross contamination since they are not cleaned and sanitized after each use,” Weyermuller said. “I think all the bikes should he removed today based on (Gov. J.B.) Pritzker’s and (Mayor Lori) Lightfoot’s concern for our safety.”

Divvy use jumped in the first days of the pandemic, according to a March 23 report in StreetsBlog Chicago.

“The total number of Divvy check-outs from March 1-11, including members and casual rentals, was 82,112,” it reported. “That number was up more than 100 percent from the same period last year, when there were only 40,078 bike-share trips. That was in keeping with biking booms this month in other U.S. cities like New York.”

Divvy use slowed after that with more shops and stores closed and inclement weather in Chicago. But there was a 26% increase from March 1-19 compared to the same period in 2019.

Divvy provides information on its sanitary efforts on its website.

It said it is “closely monitoring the situation and taking action” during the pandemic.

“We’re following updates on COVID-19, including guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Chicago Department of Public Health. We’ll continue to take actions necessary to help protect the community.”

Those efforts include disinfecting high-contact surfaces when they arrive at depots. High-contact areas on vans used to transport vehicles also are disinfected at the start of each shift, associates are wearing gloves when handling bikes and are urged but not required to wear masks.

The safety rules seem inconsistent in Weyermuller's view.

“My point is they are inconsistent,” he said. “Also Pritzker is not allowing golf carts for this reason of safety and sanitation. They do allow grocery shopping carts.

“Also Pritzker has decided playgrounds are also too dangerous due to cross contamination. Divvy bikes seem just as dangerous, or not.”