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Mayor Brandon Johnson, CDOT, and Lyft Introduce Contract Extension To Expand Divvy, Improve Safety, And Lock in Affordability for Chicago Riders

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CHICAGO — Today, Mayor Brandon Johnson, the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT), and Lyft introduced an ordinance to the Chicago City Council to continue growing and modernizing Chicago's Divvy bikeshare program, building on record-breaking Divvy ridership and bringing new investments to improve affordability, reliability, innovation, and safety for riders through a five-year contract extension. The extension, which is authorized under the current contract, would extend Lyft's agreement to operate the City's Divvy system into 2033.

"As we continue to make equitable investments to build safer streets throughout our neighborhoods, we are committed to keeping transportation affordable while modernizing the system to provide residents and visitors with a safe, accessible, and dependable way to get where they need to go," said Mayor Brandon Johnson. "I'm grateful to our business partners who continue to see the opportunity in Chicago and invest in a system that connects people to jobs, schools, businesses, neighborhoods, and the many attractions that make our city a world-class destination. This is what it looks like to build a Chicago where every community can connect to opportunity and share in everything our city has to offer."

The extension provides Chicagoans an extended price freeze on annual memberships, as well as a new 50% discount on non-member rides starting or ending in neighborhoods on the South and West Sides, a price reduction on scooters, and caps on future price increases.

"Divvy has become an essential part of how Chicagoans move through our city, and this extension is about making sure the system continues to work for more people in more neighborhoods," said Ald. Daniel La Spata (1st). "Expanding access, protecting affordability, and making it easier to safely park bikes and scooters are important investments in a transportation system that serves everyday Chicagoans."

Additionally, Lyft and CDOT will continue to invest in the station network and move to a station-based parking model to reduce sidewalk clutter and improve pedestrian safety. To better serve the broader network, including areas with the highest ridership, Lyft will add thousands of additional e-bikes and scooters, introduce an upgraded classic bike model, and deliver innovative parking features like overflow parking and virtual stations.

"Divvy is now the largest bikeshare system by geographic area in North America, and Chicago did that by treating it as real infrastructure," said Head of Lyft Urban Solutions Mike Frumin. "This extension lets us build on that foundation with more bikes and scooters — including a newer classic bike model with hybrid parking functionality — reduced pricing, and continued investment in the neighborhoods that count on this system most. We're proud to keep growing with the City into 2033."

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Expanding Affordable and Reliable Access to Divvy

The proposed five-year extension of the Divvy contract would take effect in 2028, and Lyft has committed to implementing the extension's pricing protections starting in 2027, ensuring Divvy continues to be an affordable daily transportation option for Chicagoans. A new 50% discount will apply to non-member rides on all devices starting or ending in neighborhoods across the South and West Sides, covering 104 sq mi of the city; scooter per minute pricing for members will be reduced; and the current discounted annual membership fees would be extended through 2027. Additionally, reduced caps will be put in place on how much all prices can rise annually during the extension term.

"The City's investment in physical infrastructure, paired with social infrastructure that builds real ownership and trust, is what turns access into mobility justice with the Divvy system," said Equiticity President & CEO Olatunji Oboi Reed. "We are confident an operational commitment to mobility justice will contribute to improved life outcomes for Chicago's Black and Brown neighborhoods. We look forward to continuing this work with the City and Lyft throughout this extension, ensuring increased engagement keeps pace with the ongoing investment in the years ahead."

Over the next several years, Lyft and CDOT will continue to invest in the network of over 1,100 Divvy stations and introduce targeted flexibility through new parking features. This includes adding overflow parking space at the majority of stations, which allow riders to end trips in adjacent parking spaces when stations are full, and integrating more public bike racks as "virtual stations" where all Divvy devices can be parked.

Lyft will also introduce its new classic bike model, which has a cable lock and rear wheel immobilizer, similar to Divvy e-bikes today. This will enable parking flexibility in overflow parking or at virtual stations, and a more consistent user experience across all Divvy devices. With unlimited 45-minute trips for annual and Divvy for Everyone memberships, classic bikes are the most affordable way to get around the system. This expands the network's reach without sacrificing the orderly, predictable parking that defines the system.

Safety and Organization in the Public Right-of-Way

Divvy's dockable system provides riders with clearly designated places to find and park bikes and scooters, creating a more reliable experience while helping keep sidewalks orderly and accessible. The extension would build on this by requiring all Divvy devices to park at a station, in overflow parking areas, or at designated virtual stations throughout the city.

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Additionally, the Divvy Core Area, which prioritizes Divvy's dockable scooters in the highest use areas of the city, will be expanded to include high-density lakefront communities like Lakeview, Uptown, South Shore, and Woodlawn, providing a consistent shared micromobility experience while improving organization of the public way.

This aligns with CDOT's ongoing work to address sidewalk clutter to improve accessibility for pedestrians and people with disabilities, while also expanding the benefits of the system's pricing protections, service standards, and station investment to a much broader swath of Chicago's most-traveled corridors.

With Core Area expansion, Lyft will deploy a mix of 4,000 additional e-bikes and scooters, 2,000 upgraded classic bikes, and 4,000 additional station docks. In order to uphold the same high service levels that the system sees today, the Divvy workforce, managed and employed by Lyft's operations subcontractor Shift Transit and unionized under the Transport Workers Union Local 320, expects to add over 100 local union jobs with the expansion.

Lyft will continue to expand its use of local Disadvantaged Business Enterprises to support a variety of essential services. These investments not only contribute to the local economy but also allow more Divvy users to find a device or a dock nearby when they need it.

"This extension is about delivering real improvements to our system that Chicagoans already rely on every day," said CDOT Commissioner William Cheaks Jr. "By expanding the fleet and station network, strengthening affordability and improving how devices are parked, this agreement will help Divvy better serve riders while supporting safer, more accessible streets and sidewalks."

Setting Divvy Up For the Next Five Years of Growth

Since 2019, Lyft has invested more than $60 million to modernize and expand Divvy to all 50 wards, introduced the first docked scooter system in the nation, deployed thousands of new e-bikes, and added hundreds of new stations across Chicago's neighborhoods, including 65 with in-dock e-bike and scooter charging capability. This enabled Divvy to deliver a record 6.8 million rides in 2025, and reach new daily and monthly records in 2026 including back to back one million ride months in July and August. With the contract extension, CDOT and Lyft have set Divvy up to build on this success and reach many more Chicagoans for years to come.

"Over the past 13 years, Divvy has become an integral part of Chicago's transportation landscape, providing residents with an accessible and affordable option for trips around town." said Active Transportation Alliance Managing Director of Advocacy Jim Merrell. "We look forward to seeing the city build upon this legacy by continuing to ensure every Chicagoan has access to safe, healthy, and sustainable ways to move through our city."

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