This past weekend my boyfriend and I decided to try out the new Divvy bikes. For those unfamiliar, Divvy is a bike share program that launched in Chicago a month ago. With 4,000 bikes and 400 stations throughout the city, the purpose is to allow users to rent the bike as an alternative travel method to get from point A to point B. Here are my thoughts on the system....
Positives:
- Given that the program is new, the bikes are in great condition and easy to use for inexperienced riders such as myself.
- There is an accompanying App to download on your phone that identifies all of the bike docking station locations in relation to where you are via GPS. If the station is full, the app identifies the station in red so that you know you need to find another location to return the bike. Or if you are looking to rent out a bike for the first time during your trip, a full station means that you are in luck and there will be plenty of bikes available to check out.
- Divvy operators travel to the various stations continuously moving bikes around if stations are full or low on bikes. This helps maintain an even number of bikes across the various stations throughout the city.
- All bikes are equipped with a basket to hold any personal items you may have. Bikes also have lights to ensure safety if riding at night.
- The cost to rent a bike for 24 hours is $7 which keeps the system an affordable means of transit.
- Divvy can be operated 24 hours a day for 365 days a year (not sure how much it will be utilized in Chicago during the winter months but we shall see...)
Negatives:
- Divvy's model is to provide transit from point A to point B and is great for short trips. However, the system requires riders to check their bike into a station every 30 minutes of use. For lengthy bike rides, this amount of time is to short and we found that it almost took away from the enjoyable experience of riding along the lakefront. We were constantly checking our watch to be sure we did not exceed the half hour time limit. If you do go over this amount, additional fees will be incurred. Another negative associated with the 30 minute trip duration is if you run into a situation where the bike docking station is full and you cannot check in your bike, you must continue on to the next station which may or may not be full. Again, the operations team is out in the field monitoring the bikes and moving them amongst the stations, but friends have mentioned exceeding the time limit due to multiple full stations.
- Every docking station has a kiosk for riders to submit initial payment for the day and to receive a different code each time a bike is rented. One negative is that the docking stations only have 1 kiosk, so popular stations get backed up with 1st time riders and riders that have checked in their bike and need to wait to get a new code to re-check out another bike to continue their trip.
Suggested Improvements:
- Extend the trip time from 30 minutes to 1 hour, or allow riders the option to pay $8 versus $7 for 24 hours to guarantee an hour trip time without penalty.
- Create an additional kiosk at the docking station to allow great efficiency for those who are first time renters versus simply checking in for the 30 minute mark. Another option would be to allow riders to use the same code for the 24 hour period. That way, if they check in their bike after 30 minutes they could immediately access the bike again without having to wait in line at the kiosk for a new code.
Overall I think this is a great system that will allow commuters another method of travel outside of the CTA or driving. I was recently given a subscription for a year long membership and look forward to using the program again in the near future.
