Rolling Forward
Assessing Divvy Bike Share in Chicago
What's Ahead
- Purpose & Scope of the Project
- Overview of the Survey and Findings
- Spatial Analysis Findings
- Recommendations for Divvy
Purpose
This study aims to find spatial and socioeconomic barriers to accessing Divvy.
Why is this important?
CDOT has asked us to conduct this study because they are initiating their phase III Divvy expansion and wanted creative input on breaking down the barriers to Divvy access.
The project emphasizes access to opportunity.
Project Scope
- This project's scope covers the entire city of Chicago and involves looking at Divvy accessibility spatially and in terms of socioeconomic factors.
- The study involved two analysis methods: a citywide intercept survey and utilizing ArcGIS.
- Divvy is the City of Chicago's bike-share program, which currently boasts 829 stations and a fleet of classic bikes, electric bikes, and electric scooters.
- Classic stations which can dock all scooters and bikes.
- Lightweight stations can only dock electric bikes and scooters.
Survey Overview and Findings
- Early on it was decided that spatial analysis alone wouldn't be enough to answer all questions about barriers to divvy use.
- We decided to keep our survey short in order to encourage more people to take the survey.
- All questions other than frequency of use are optional, some were allowed to select multiple options.
- A poster was designed with a QR code to be attached to stations. With Divvy's permission, posters were places around the city on select Divvy stations.
- The survey was also shared on sites like Reddit, Facebook, and Twitter. Some community groups and research partners also aided in sharing the survey.
Respondent Demographics
- 453 Responses in total, a majority of which live in the central part of Chicago or the North Side
- The majority of respondents were young, between the ages of 18-34
- The majority of respondents were non-Latino White and had a median household income of more than $100,000 (the Chicago median income per capita is $41,821)
- 2.63% of non-Latino White respondents were unsure of their nearest station vs. 7-12.5% for other races/ethnicities. There were similar measurements for those living more than 10 minutes away.
- Non-Latino White and Asian respondents were likelier to live 1-5 minutes from a station.
- Overall, the survey was not an accurate sample of the population, but it still yielded valuable results.
- Because responses were optional, response rates varied depending on each question.
Respondent Frequency of Use
- 453 people answered this question (n=453)
- The highest frequency of usage was A few times a year, selected by 30% of respondents.
- Respondents who lived more than 10 minutes from a station were more likely never to use Divvy or only use Divvy a few times a year. More on the next slide.
Respondent Distance from Nearest Station
- 450 people answered this question (n=450)
- 9% of respondents living within a five-minute distance never use Divvy
- 12% of respondents living within 5-10 minutes never use Divvy
- 38% of respondents who have to walk more than 10 minutes never use Divvy
- 88% of respondents who are unsure of where their nearest station is never use Divvy
Respondent reasons for using Divvy
- This response allowed multiple selections, 401 people answered this question (n=401)
- Recreation and Social events were the most common use for Divvy bikes
Transit Modes commonly mixed with Divvy bikes amongst respondents
- 429 people answered this question (n=429)
- 63% of respondents reported multimodal trips with Divvy bikes other than walking.
- It is assumed that most respondents would require some walking to at least reach the closest Divvy station.
Reasons that prevent respondents from using Divvy
- 444 people answered this question (n=444)
- The highest responses were that the prices are too high and station capacity is low.
Better and/or more frequent maintenance of bikes. Stations full of bikes at peak hours.
Less expensive pricing structures. Better maintained bikes, including classic.
Safer streets and lower prices
Lower price, commitment to maintaining classic bikes
Better bike infrastructure and more availability at divvy stations
Spatial Analysis
Station Service Areas
39.5% of Chicago Residents live within a five-minute walk of a station.
72% of residents live within a 10-minute walk from a station. Based on the survey results, this is what most people would walk from a station.
This leaves about 28% of people walking more than 10 minutes to access a bike station.
On the South Side, stations are much more spread out. People have to walk much farther to access a bike.
While, on the North Side, one is rarely more than a five-minute walk from a Divvy Station.
This map shows how many people live within each station's (up to)15-minute catchment zone.
For stations on the edge of the city, they have the most people to service
A surprising area of high station catchment population was around the border of Edgewater & Roger's Park
The station at Broadway & Granville is the closest station for 12,541 people. The most out of any station in the city.
These dark blue areas may indicate that there is more room for station expansion opportunities.
Comparing Population To Trips:
Explore The Two Maps To See Each Station's Population and Total Trips in July 2022.
Many Stations with the most trips are also in the areas with the most stations.
- While Stations on the South Side supposedly serve more people than stations on the North Side, they have much lower ridership.
- This indicates that the Divvy Network is incentivized by convenience. Not necessarily population.
Here is another map that looks at ridership at each station normalized by the surrounding population in a block group. Stations also seem to have a correlation between income and ridership.
On the previous map, a pattern emerges that stations closely clustered together tend to have higher ridership. An exception is Rogers Park. This area also has a lower median income. Stations in areas with lower median income have lower ridership.
Population and Demographics
Recommendations
The group makes the following five recommendations:
Recommendation 1: Lower pricing
The most significant complaint from the survey.
- Divvy For Everyone (D4E) should be expanded to more income brackets
- This could include minimally raising the price from $5 a year to support expanding it to more income brackets while still providing a low cost to everyone.
- Reinstate the e-bike fare waiver zone to riders on the city's fringes.
Recommendation 2: Better outreach and services to marginalized and under-served populations
Based on the survey, many respondents in minority neighborhoods did not know where the nearest Divvy station is. In addition, maps have shown that low nonwhite and minority neighborhoods tend to have lower ridership and less stations.
More workshops, advertisements, and station signage should be installed in areas where Divvy bikes are not as popular.
Recommendation 3: Greater focus on the availability and maintenance of classic bikes and stations
- Survey respondents wanted more non-electric bikes because they are cheaper.
- We recommend that expansion areas receive heavyweight stations.
- As the classic blue bikes age and need replacement, we think they should be replaced by more non-electric bikes.
Recommendation 4: Continue To Expand the Network To the Entire City
Divvy is still not everywhere with much room to grow within the existing network and on the northwest, and the south sides.
New stations should prioritize being near parks, business districts, schools, transit, and other major trip generators. While Divvy has made significant progress on this goal over the last few years, there is much more room for growth regarding serving more areas.
Explore The Map To The Right To See Areas Where Divvy Should Expand Next
Darker shades are places with the most suitable locations for new Divvy stations.
Recommendation 5: A Better Connected Bike Network
- Unsafe streets were the third largest disincentive for survey respondents.
- In addition, many bike lanes on the city's fringes do not have Divvy bike stations nearby.
- Adding more bike lanes and off-street bike paths encourages biking by making streets safer.
Conclusion
- We would like to thank everyone who has participated in the survey.
- Our research has shown the ways that the Divvy system is inequitable, with more stations in white areas than non-white areas of the city. Other factors discovered were gaps in service for dense areas, land use, and transportation accessibility.
- Our survey showed that Divvy users think the bikes are too expensive and want more non-electric bikes as well as safer streets.
- This project can aid in recommending new policies and the placement of new stations, specifically in underserved areas of Chicago.
- We recommend that the price of Divvy be brought down, better outreach, and continue to expand the classic bikes, continue to build more Divvy Stations, and a better network of bicycle facilities.
- Finally, would like to thank Sean Wiedel, Mark Bennett, Jake Vissers, and Riley O'Neil for the opportunity to work on this project.
