Friday, August 16, 2013

Divvy May Ride North Into Evanston

On the evening of Monday, August 12, 2013, the Evanston City Council voted in favor of submitting a grant application seeking funds to install Divvy bike sharing stations in Evanston. If awarded, the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning grant will cover up to 80% of the project's proposed cost of $472,500.00. The city will foot the bill for the rest of the cost and will also be responsible for an estimated $168,000.00 in annual operating costs. User fees and advertising revenue generally cover 70-80% of the annual operating costs of a system similar in size to the one proposed in Evanston. In addition, Northwestern University has expressed an interest partnering with the city to support the program, and its staff plans to reach out to other large businesses in the area to seek similar ongoing financial support. 
 
At Monday night's meeting, the City Council approved the grant application with some slight modifications. The plan originally called for seven bike sharing stations located primary near Metra and CTA stations, the Northwestern campus, and the lakefront. The City Council modified the plan to include eight stations rather than seven. In addition, the City Council moved the proposed Dempster beach station to the Fleetwood Jourdain Center and also modified the map to include stations near the south end of town and one near Greenleaf Street and Chicago Avenue. Each of the proposed eight stations will be equipped with 10 three-speed bicycles.
 
As an Evanston resident and avid bicyclist, Illinois Bicycle Lawyer Michael Keating is extremely pleased with the Evanston City Council's decision to seek funding for a bike sharing program. Mr. Keating has been a member of Chicago's Divvy bike sharing system since its June 28, 2013 launch and regularly uses Divvy bicycles to travel throughout the city and to commute from the Metra Station to his office. The attorneys at Keating Law Offices are very excited about the prospect of bike sharing programs extending beyond the city limits, and we encourage other suburbs to follow in Evanston's footsteps.
Keating Law Offices is a Chicago-based firm of trial lawyers who represent clients throughout Illinois. They are the leading Illinois firm in the field of bicycle litigation. If you have any questions regarding this post or an issue involving bicycle law or litigation, please contact Illinois Bicycle Attorney Mike Keating at 312-208-7702 or MKeating@KeatingLegal.com 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.