Use Divvy bikes through Lyft app soon

This past summer Lyft purchased Divvy’s parent company Motivate, and recently the company announced that the deal has finally closed.

Riders will soon be able to access Divvy bikes by using the Lyft app, according to the announcement. A more thorough look at trip options and other details for the bikes will come later in 2019. For now, Divvy bikes will stay sky blue, but in the near future Lyft will roll out the pink and black Lyft-branded bikes in select cities.

It’s unclear whether Lyft will continue to maintain the Divvy station kiosks or if riders will only be able to purchase passes through the Lyft app. A representative from Lyft said the kiosks would remain for now but future plans are still being decided.

Lyft is also working on integrating public transit information directly into the app. It’s already done this for users in Santa Monica. If the feature were to expand to Chicago, riders would be able to see bus lines and L train lines to decide which route is best for their trip, according to Lyft.

Lyft plans to expand its bikeshare system with thousands of new bikes, scooters and stations across cities where Motivate had established bikeshare programs and more. Motivate operated New York City’s Citi Bikes, San Francisco’s Ford GoBike, Boston’s Bluebikes, Washington D.C.’s Capital Bikeshare, Portland’s Biketown, Columbus’ CoGo, and Minneapolis’ Nice Ride.

The company also said making membership more affordable and convenient would be a priority too. Currently a single ride on Divvy costs $3, a 24-hour pass with 3-hour rides costs $15, and an annual membership is $99 with more affordable options for low-income residents.

Lyft also plans on deploying electric bikes and scooters, the announcement said. Lyft scooters are already available in Denver and account for 15 percent of rides, according to the company. Lyft scooters are also in Washington D.C., Arlington, Santa Monica, and Austin. No word on when that transportation option will come to Chicago though.

The city wrapped up a dockless electric bike pilot program in November and it looks like other scooters might be on the streets eventually. So Lyft could have some competition when it brings those services to the city.

• Lyft buys Divvy’s parent company [Curbed Chicago]
• Lyft sees a future with more bikes and scooters, and fewer cars [Curbed]