Divvy Bike Share Could Come to Oak Park

The Village of Oak Park is considering applying for a grant that would expand Chicago's Divvy bike share program to Oak Park and Evanston. 

Oak Park officials will vote tonight on a resolution to apply with the City of Chicago and City of Evanston for a Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21) Transportation Alternatives Program grant to fund 80 percent of the program's capital costs. 

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Divvy launched earlier this summer in Chicago, and reported 131,411 trips for almost 414,000 miles in the month of July. The estimated number of trips per month in Oak Park is 300, according to the memo. 

Oak Park's local match for the grant would be 20 percent of capital costs, or $161,177, to deploy 12 Divvy stations in Oak Park. The estimated annual operating cost is $230,000, with estimated annual revenue of $168,800, according to a village staff memo. 

U.S. bike share systems are recovering 50 to 120 percent of operating costs through user fees and advertising, and systems most similar to the one proposed for Oak Park average about 70 to 80 percent in cost recovery, according to the memo. Staff said the village could choose to scale back the number of stations to reduce capital and operating costs, but that the Active Transportation Alliance and Divvy have indicated 12 stations would be a good starting point for Oak Park. 

To ride a Divvy bike, users can buy 24-hour passes for $7 or an annual membership for $75. The first 30 minutes of every Divvy trip are free. 

Divvy station locations in Oak Park have not been determined, but transit access points, dense residential areas, tourist attractions and major employers would be among factors that typically guide the decision. 

Evanston City Council last week approved a resolution to apply for the grant. The Village Board meets at 7 p.m. Monday, Aug. 19, at Village Hall, 123 Madison St., Oak Park.