In early May, Lyft, the concessionaire for Chicago’s publicly-owned bike-share system Divvy, quietly and considerably modified the community’s pricing construction. The most essential distinction was the elimination of the electrical bike “fee waiver zone” in components of the town south of Pershing Road (3900 W.) or west of Western Avenue (2400 W.)
How the pricing system beforehand labored
Chicagoans who reside north of Pershing and east of Western, beforehand generally known as the “fee zone,” have a tendency to have comparatively handy entry to each the older, blue non-electric bikes (Divvy calls these “Classic” bikes), in addition to the newer, black or grey electrical bikes, from their houses. Divvy annual members can take as many up-to-45-minute journeys as they like on the blue bikes, which may solely be checked out or parked at full-service docking stations, for no further cost. But prior to the pricing change, members residing within the price zone who select to trip the e-bikes paid a per-minute surcharge, in addition to a non-station parking price in the event that they ended their journey by securing their cycle to a rack or pole utilizing its built-in cable lock, fairly than parking at a station.
In distinction, components of city outdoors these boundaries haver fewer full-service stations, or none in any respect. In outlying communities, Lyft is solely putting in “E-stations,” glorified bike racks the place solely the electrical bikes may be checked out or parked, and these are spaced farther aside than stations in additional central neighborhoods. So residents south of Pershing or west of Western typically have much less handy, or nonexistent, entry to the blue bikes from their houses.
Since theses Chicagoans typically don’t have any selection however to use the e-bikes, Divvy’s previous pricing system helped stage the enjoying discipline by waiving the time surcharge and non-station price for journeys starting or ending within the waiver zone.
The adjustments are introduced
On April 11, the Chicago Department of Transportation, which oversees the system, and Lyft introduced the upcoming adjustments, in addition to the approaching launch of Divvy’s dockable e-scooters.
Under the new price construction, the waiver zone can be eradicated, which means that the particular e-bike costs would apply all over the place within the protection zone. In an effort to cut back monetary hardship for individuals with Divvy for Everyone (D4E) $5 memberships, obtainable to Chicagoans making $35,310 or much less, D4E members can be given $10 in free credit score, good for surcharges and parking charges, every month for the following yr.
However, no group conferences had been held to clarify the new, considerably complicated, pricing construction to the general public earlier than it went into impact. And residents definitely weren’t requested whether or not the adjustments had been acceptable to them.
The adjustments (quietly) go into impact
On May 10, CDOT and Lyft held a ribbon-cutting on the downtown Thompson Center to have fun the scooter rollout. But the press launch for that occasion included solely a quick, fairly euphemistic reference to the very fact the new price construction was additionally kicking in that day. “In tandem with this launch, Divvy will be implementing a simplified pricing structure. Divvy and D4E members will continue to receive unlimited free unlocks, free rides up to 45 minutes on classic blue bikes, and significantly discounted per-minute and out-of-station parking fees for e-bikes and scooters through their existing memberships.”
The information launch’s language emphasised that members would pay decrease e-bike time surcharges and non-dock charges than non members. But it glossed over the truth that beforehand journeys to and from the waiver zones didn’t contain per-minute or out-of-station costs in any respect.
That day, many Divvy members had been unpleasantly stunned to see they had been getting further costs for e-bike journeys that didn’t exist earlier than. Lyft later mentioned they despatched Divvy members superior discover of the new price construction through e mail and the app. However, as a daily Divvy consumer, I by no means acquired an e mail or a notification on my smartphone. I requested different Divvy members and they mentioned they didn’t obtain any warning both.
The zones had been off the app map immediately https://t.co/Gxa6oadzif
— ugh (@kqskqs) May 11, 2022
After-the-fact outreach conferences on the new pricing
Perversely, CDOT’s and Lyft’s group outreach plan concerning the new pricing system was to clarify to the general public the way it works after members had been already being charged the new e-bike charges. This public engagement course of included three on-line public conferences, with the earliest one happening on May 12, two days after the new time surcharges and non-station charges kicked in.
Lyft selected not to document these conferences to “allow open and sincere conversations” in accordance to a Lyft consultant. The Spanish discussion board held on May 25 was attended by 10 individuals, largely residents of Southwest Side communities like Little Village and Northwest Side neighborhoods like Belmont Cragin. A bilingual marketing consultant from MUSE Community + Design offered the data to the members in Spanish. A Lyft consultant was additionally obtainable however didn’t converse Spanish, so the marketing consultant served as an interpreter between attendees and the Lyft staffer.
The presenter confirmed a map highlighting components of the present protection space in purple, to present that they solely have E-stations, not full-service docking stations, and therefore blue bikes can’t be utilized in these areas. Meeting attendees had been sad concerning the adjustments and voiced their disapproval all through the discussion board.
Yes, the blue bikes are being phased out
One resident requested if the blue bikes would proceed to be obtainable sooner or later. The Lyft rep responded that “the plans are to be determined.”
However, that’s not really the case. Back in 2020, when Divvy was being expanded into the South and West sides, Lyft defined throughout a stakeholder assembly that the corporate would finally section out the non-electric bikes. When requested for clarification, a consultant mentioned that when a blue bike wore out, it will get replaced with a new e-bike fairly than a new non-electric cycle. While Divvy’s blue bikes are very sturdy and can stay in service for years, that meant that finally your entire flee would include e-bikes. At that time, anybody utilizing bike-share wherever within the metropolis will get charged an extra per-minute price for each trip.
$25 is a little bit steep for a one hour bike trip, don’t you assume @DivvyBikes ?
Metra and CTA are each < $3 for this route.
Even $10 is fairly outrageous for a member. pic.twitter.com/nXaxqAGjSD
— Steven Lucy (@slucy) June 6, 2022
Interestingly, Block Club Chicago lately reported that Lyft spokesperson Colin Wright “said the company has no plans to eliminate the classic blue bikes and ‘continues to keep them in top shape and available for riders to enjoy.’” That suggests a change in coverage since that 2020 stakeholder assembly.
However, Wright indicated to Streetsblog on Monday that nothing has modified. “There are no plans to phase-out the [non-electric] bikes,” he insisted. But he additionally confirmed, “As [non-electric] bikes become beyond unrepairable, we will replace them with e-bikes.” So, in impact, there are plans to section out the blue bikes.
Asked concerning the equity of constructing such radical adjustments to how the bike-share system works with out getting public enter first, Wright responded, “We are living up to the terms of our agreement with CDOT,” referring to a nine-year contract extension that handed Chicago’s City Council in April 2019.
What’s mistaken with the new price construction
What’s most upsetting concerning the pricing change is that Divvy had beforehand been offering a low-cost mobility choices for individuals in with poor transit entry. While much less station density and bike availability on the South and West sides has been a difficulty, Divvy has nonetheless launched many individuals, particularly those that can not afford their very own bicycles, to biking for transportation in Chicago. Instead of strolling 20 minutes or ready for sometimes-unreliable bus or practice service, you can merely hop on a motorcycle to end your journey.
But final month Streetsblog famous that some working-class Chicagoans who reside in components of city with out blue bikes, however make an excessive amount of cash to qualify for D4E, have complained that the new per-minute charges for e-bikes make the system unaffordable for each day commutes.
A couple of days in the past Lyft despatched some members this message on the app: “CDOT is providing a $5 bike credit for rides that start in recent expansion areas, one credit per rider every 30 days for a limited time. Credit can be used for bike unlock, minutes, out of station parking and on multiple rides.”
“Credits are our way to bridge the gap for anyone who feels priced out of the system,” Wright defined. However, not all members acquired the a notification about this provide. And $5 doesn’t even pay for a single half-hour e-bike trip for a daily member, which prices $5.80.
Here is the new Divvy pricing construction that began May 10. For a Divvy member to trip an ebike for half-hour will price $5.80. A nonmember utilizing “casual pricing” can pay $12.70 for 30 min on an ebike. Please share feedback at outreach@divvybikes.com. @ChicagoDOT @DivvyBikes pic.twitter.com/404NVcQoMj
— Audrey Wennink (@awennink) June 4, 2022
How will the new pricing have an effect on Chicago transportation?
Lately I’ve been desirous about how all these adjustments will affect Chicago’s transportation biking panorama. North Side Divvy members used to give you the chance to trip e-bikes totally free any time their journey began or ended west of Western. Now that they’ve to pay a per-minute price for these rides, are they utilizing blue bikes extra typically? And as a result of, thanks to increased station density, North Siders have higher entry to non-electric cycles, has it turn into tougher for South and West siders to discover blue bikes at docking stations of their communities?
A couple of individuals have requested me to clarify Divvy pricing, however determined not to join a membership as a result of they discovered the system too complicated. I’m wondering how many individuals will forgo or not renew Divvy memberships as a result of the price of using is now too excessive. How many potential bike journeys will as an alternative be made by automobile consequently?
In a 2020 weblog put up Lyft’s head of motorcycle, scooter, and pedestrian coverage Caroline Samponaro, previously with the New York advocacy group Transportation Alternatives, claimed the corporate is “committed to providing affordable, reliable transportation in Chicago and our cities across the country.” I’m wondering how Lyft defines “affordable,” and why they’d make main pricing adjustments with minimal communication to members. I additionally surprise what CDOT’s function was in these adjustments, and how we will maintain them accountable to their Strategic Plan and Climate Action Plan that spotlight fairness challenges and name for increasing the town’s stroll, bike, and transit choices.
The Lyft consultant closed the discussion board I attended by stating that nothing is set in stone and that they’re on the lookout for solutions and suggestions. Please ship suggestions to them at outreach@divvybikes.com.