Mayor Brandon Johnson, the Chicago Department of Transportation, and Lyft announced continued progress on the city’s 2026 Divvy expansion on August 3, with new and upgraded bike-share stations now active along Chicago’s lakefront corridor. The lakefront buildout is part of a broader plan to deploy more than 200 new or upgraded Divvy stations across the city this year, a commitment first outlined in March that targets expanded access in high-demand areas, underserved neighborhoods, and the downtown core. The announcement lands less than two weeks before the Chicago Air and Water Show on August 15 to 16, one of the city’s largest annual events and a weekend that historically drives heavy lakefront foot traffic.

• CDOT and Lyft are deploying more than 200 new or upgraded Divvy stations in 2026, building on last year’s addition of 140 stations; the expansion includes approximately 100 new stations and 100 upgraded existing locations.
• Lakefront and downtown stations are receiving new e-bike charging infrastructure to support the growing share of electric bike trips in the system.
• CDOT, Lyft, and the Chicago Park District are collaborating on lakefront station installations, with new locations around Grant Park and the North Side already operational ahead of peak summer ridership.
• Divvy logged a record 6.8 million trips in 2025; combined with Lime scooters, Chicago recorded nearly 13 million shared micromobility trips last year.
• Annual Divvy membership remains at $99 for new and lapsed members, with current members renewing at $143.90; the Divvy for Everyone program continues to offer $5 annual memberships in Equity Priority Areas.
• The city is targeting a density of four Divvy stations per square mile across all neighborhoods, with new stations planned for the Far South, Southwest, South, and Northwest sides where coverage currently falls below that threshold.

Lakefront Stations Address the System’s Highest-Turnover Corridor

Chicago’s 18-mile lakefront trail is the single busiest corridor in the Divvy network. Stations near North Avenue Beach, the Museum Campus, Grant Park, and along the northern shoreline experience the highest turnover rates in the system, meaning bikes are checked out and returned at a pace that frequently leaves docks either empty or full. Both conditions create problems: riders arriving at an empty station have no bike to rent, while riders trying to return a bike to a full station face out-of-station parking fees.

The 2026 expansion targets that congestion directly. CDOT and Lyft are working with the Chicago Park District to install new stations along the lakefront and in adjacent dense neighborhoods, with additional docks designed to absorb the overflow that has plagued high-traffic stations during warm-weather months. Stations around Grant Park and on the North Side were prioritized for early deployment ahead of peak riding season, and the August 3 announcement confirmed that those installations are now active.

The lakefront stations are also among the first in the network to receive dedicated e-bike charging infrastructure. Electric bikes have become an increasingly popular segment of the Divvy fleet, and stations in high-turnover areas need charging capacity to keep e-bikes available throughout the day. Without onsite charging, e-bikes that run low on battery must be physically collected by operations crews and transported to centralized charging facilities, a logistics bottleneck that reduces the number of available e-bikes during peak hours. Adding chargers directly at lakefront docks shortens that turnaround and keeps more electric bikes in circulation where demand is concentrated.

The Broader 200-Station Plan Stretches from the Loop to the Far South Side

The lakefront buildout is one piece of a citywide expansion plan that CDOT and Lyft announced in March 2026. The full scope calls for more than 200 new or upgraded stations by the end of the year, divided roughly evenly between new installations and upgrades to existing locations. Approximately 100 existing stations are being “densified,” meaning their dock capacity is being expanded to accommodate more bikes and e-bikes at each location. Another 100 new stations are being created by redistributing dock equipment into neighborhoods where coverage is thinnest.

The city’s stated goal is to reach a density of four Divvy stations per square mile across all 77 community areas. That target is already met or exceeded in the Loop, Near North Side, and lakefront zones. But neighborhoods on the Far South, Southwest, South, and Northwest sides currently fall below the threshold, creating service gaps that limit Divvy’s usefulness as a daily transportation option in those areas. The 2026 plan directs new station installations into those underserved corridors while simultaneously upgrading e-bike-only stations on the West, Northwest, and Southwest sides into full-service locations that accept both pedal bikes and electric bikes.

Downtown neighborhoods are also part of the buildout. CDOT’s director of public affairs, Erica Schroeder, noted that River North, Streeterville, and the Loop all have “significant gaps” where residents have requested Divvy stations. Adding stations in those areas reduces the number of bikes and scooters parked on sidewalks outside of docking stations, which Schroeder described as “particularly important for people with disabilities” who navigate those sidewalks.

Record Ridership and the Economics Behind the Expansion

The expansion is backed by ridership numbers that have moved steadily upward since Divvy launched in 2013. Riders logged 6.8 million trips in 2025, the system’s highest annual total. When combined with Lime scooters, which operate under a separate city-issued business license, Chicago recorded nearly 13 million shared micromobility trips last year. Through early 2026, Divvy had already surpassed 500,000 trips, outpacing previous winter ridership records and signaling that usage patterns are shifting beyond seasonal peaks.

That demand growth has also created pressure on pricing. Divvy raised several per-minute ride fees in March 2026 to fund maintenance, system upgrades, and the station expansion. Classic bike and e-bike rides for members now cost $0.20 per minute after the included 45-minute window. Scooter rides increased to $0.34 per minute. Out-of-station parking fees rose to $2 for members and $3 for casual riders. Day passes climbed from $18.10 to $19.90.

The rate increases were paired with affordability measures designed to keep the system accessible. Annual membership pricing remains at $99 for new and lapsed members, a discount from the standard $143.90 renewal rate for current subscribers. Member rides between 30 and 45 minutes are now capped at the cost of a 30-minute ride, providing predictable pricing for longer trips. Riders can also pause trips for up to 15 minutes without incurring additional charges, a feature designed for errands and short stops.

The equity layer of the pricing structure remains a central component. Unlock fees are waived for trips that begin in designated Equity Priority Areas on the Far South, South, West, and Northwest sides, removing a cost barrier for non-members in neighborhoods where income levels are lower and transit alternatives are fewer. The Divvy for Everyone program, which offers $5 annual memberships and reduced ride rates for income-eligible residents, continues in 2026 with expanded enrollment outreach planned through community events and neighborhood partnerships.

Timing the Lakefront Buildout to Chicago’s Busiest Summer Weekends

The August 3 announcement’s timing is not coincidental. The Chicago Air and Water Show, scheduled for August 15 to 16, draws an estimated two million spectators to the lakefront each year, concentrated along North Avenue Beach and the shoreline stretching south toward Oak Street. The event generates some of the heaviest pedestrian and cyclist traffic of the year along the lakefront trail, and Divvy stations in the area routinely experience peak-season overflow during the show weekend.

Having new and upgraded lakefront stations operational before the Air and Water Show ensures that the added capacity is in place when the system faces its highest seasonal stress test. The e-bike charging infrastructure at lakefront stations adds another layer of readiness, keeping the electric fleet available throughout a weekend when trip volumes will spike and turnaround times between rides will compress.

Sean Madison, Divvy’s general manager with Lyft Urban Solutions, framed the expansion in operational terms: the priority is to ensure that riders find “a device exactly when and where they need it.” For a system that serves nearly 13 million annual trips across bikes and scooters, the margin between a reliable network and a frustrating one often comes down to whether there is a bike in the dock when a rider walks up.

 

FAQs

How Many New Divvy Stations Is Chicago Adding in 2026?

CDOT and Lyft plan to deploy more than 200 new or upgraded Divvy stations across Chicago in 2026. The expansion includes approximately 100 new stations in underserved areas and 100 upgrades to existing locations, adding dock capacity and e-bike charging infrastructure.

How Much Does a Divvy Membership Cost in 2026?

Annual Divvy membership costs $99 for new and lapsed members. Current members renew at $143.90. The Divvy for Everyone program offers $5 annual memberships for income-eligible residents, and unlock fees are waived for trips starting in Equity Priority Areas on the South and West sides.

What Is Changing About Divvy’s Lakefront Stations?

Lakefront stations are being expanded with additional docks to handle high turnover and upgraded with e-bike charging infrastructure. New stations have been installed around Grant Park and on the North Side, with the buildout timed ahead of the Chicago Air and Water Show on August 15 to 16.

How Many Trips Did Divvy Record in 2025?

Divvy logged a record 6.8 million trips in 2025. Combined with Lime scooters, Chicago recorded nearly 13 million shared micromobility trips last year, the highest total since the system launched in 2013.