Divvy bikes: Chicago bike sharing busiest in world, city says

July 23, 2013 (CHICAGO) (WLS) -- More of those light blue bicycles are coming to town. Divvy, Chicago's bike sharing program, is expanding.

After just three weeks, the city is calling Chicago's Divvy Bikes program the busiest bike sharing system in the world. Divvy Bikes Stations

"We've seen over 50,000 trips over these first three weeks. We've taken enough trips to go around the earth seven times," Elliot Greenberger, Divvy, said.

Each station has a touchscreen kiosk, station map and a docking system that releases bikes using a member key or ride code. Divvy bikes can be used by half hour increments or all weekend long.

"People who get 24 hour passes for the weekend, we saw 3,000 trips on Saturday and 3,000 trips on Sunday," Greenberger said.

One of the most popular ways: ditching the bus or a cab- and biking to work.

"Any place where it's a little inconvenient to take the CTA. I do a lot of stuff downtown so it's convenient," Patrick Loftus, Divvy user, said. "I have a Divvy bike rack 50 yards from my front door so I go and grab it and go just about anywhere downtown it's really easy."

Others use it for leisure trips.

"This is very nice because it's, I can go everywhere very near, and it's easy, yes," Jasmine Bello, Divvy user, said.

An annual membership costs $75 and includes unlimited 30-minute bike trips. Twenty-four hour passes are $7.

Divvy plans to add 40 new stations by the end of this week, and 3,000 bikes by the end of the summer. Find current and planned Divvy Bikes Stations on this map.

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local, diane pathieu

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