Divvy Rewards Riders For Returning Bikes To Less Crowded Stations

CHICAGO — On a nice afternoon in Chicago, it can seem like every Divvy bike is on the opposite end of the Lakefront Trail from you. To solve the uneven amounts, the bike-share company is introducing a program to reward riders who take bikes from crowded docking stations to ones that are running low.

The incentive program is called Bike Angels and those who earn enough points can get prizes like water bottles, key fobs, riding gloves, backpacks and free membership extensions.

Divvy members can sign up through the Divvy app to start earning points as soon as possible.

The app shows a breakdown of where the most crowded stations are and how many points a ride will award you to bring the bike to another station. Points vary depending on distance and how low a station is running.

For example, a rider can earn four points for picking up a bike from a very crowded station and an additional four if they drop it off at a very empty station. If there's only time for a short ride, you can pick up a bike from a slightly crowded station and drop it off at a neutral station for one point.

The points will show up in a member's Divvy account under the name "rebalancing rides" and the company will email members with information on redeeming them once a Bike Angel hits ten points. Points will update on the virtual map every 15 minutes.