Divvy had trouble keeping bikes on the streets this summer. Here’s why.

Ridership on Chicago’s Divvy bike-share system surged during the pandemic, but riders this spring and summer likely encountered a new trend: Divvy at times had fewer bikes on the street than at any other point in recent years.

The shortage started in April of this year, when the percentage of the Divvy fleet deployed on the streets hit 63.9%, at that time the lowest level since Lyft, which operates Divvy, began reporting data in 2019, according to Chicago Department of Transportation numbers. It stayed low in May, then dropped again in June to 58.8%, the numbers show. Numbers beyond June were not available.

The drops in bike deployment come as Lyft changed its prices in a move that alarmed some riders. The company said the price changes are tied to an increasing number of electric bikes, which cost more to operate. Electric bikes are also one reason a lower share of bikes has been on the streets.

Dips in Divvy bike deployment have happened before during the warmer weather months, when higher ridership leads to more wear and tear on the bikes, meaning bikes have to be pulled for maintenance. But since 2019 the amount of bikes in circulation had not previously dipped below 68%, and the level this spring and early summer was far below the 80% goal agreed upon by Lyft and the city.

CDOT said ridership has remained strong throughout the summer as the size of the bike fleet grows, and indeed, Divvy data shows the number of bike trips in April, May and June was higher than the year before. The agency needs to examine more granular detail to make sure ridership growth is happening in all neighborhoods, officials said.

“CDOT is committed to ensuring all Chicagoans have access to safe and convenient transportation options, and our bike-share system is an integral part of that,” CDOT said in a statement. “While Divvy has continued to grow in size and popularity, it’s a concern any time residents are struggling to find available bikes. CDOT is working closely with our partners at Lyft to ensure the system is strong and provides quality service to residents.”

Lyft attributes the decline in deployment to widespread pandemic supply chain and labor challenges that slowed bike maintenance, and said thefts of classic, pedal bikes have also been a factor. So has the increasing number of electric bikes in the Divvy fleet, the company said.

E-bikes are more complex than traditional pedal bikes, requiring more time to do maintenance. They compete with cars for electronics that have been in short supply, according to Lyft.

Lyft is required by its contract with the city to expand the Divvy system with e-bikes, as the system grows into less dense areas where electric bikes can cover more ground, more easily. It must get city permission to add expansion bikes that are not electric.

Since 2019, Divvy has added about 8,500 bikes, 500 of which were nonelectric pedal bikes, according to CDOT. Agency spokeswoman Erica Schroeder and Lyft said they are on track to complete a planned citywide 10,500 e-bike expansion by the end of the year.

Lyft said the supply chain challenges are easing, which should mean more bikes are returning to the street. The company is working to upgrade e-bike parts so they last longer, and are easier to repair when they do break. And electrifying stations so bikes can charge in the docks, instead of having to swap out batteries, should help bikes charge better and lower operating costs, the company said.

The added expense and complexity of operating e-bikes is one reason for the change in the program’s price structure, Lyft said. The company is also paying more for shipping and parts as inflation drives up costs, it said.

The new Divvy prices, rolled out this spring with city approval as Lyft began to also offer scooters downtown, raised prices for members from $0.15 to $0.16 per minute for any type of bike.

Nonmembers have to pay fees to unlock bikes to begin using them, and the unlock fee was slashed from $3.30 to $1. Pedal bike price increases mirrored member price increases, plus 30 minutes of free time was eliminated.

E-bike prices for nonmembers went up by 19 cents per minute, to $0.39. A zone where fees had been waived, which covered much of the West and South sides, was eliminated.

Divvy also offers a separate program for riders who meet income guidelines, and those prices remained the same. Customers who rode in the former e-bike fee waiver zone are getting $5 monthly credits through at least the end of the summer, and the city and Lyft have provided $10 monthly e-bike credits.

The price changes sparked a resolution from a handful of aldermen calling for more information about Divvy prices and ridership, and saying more study of e-bike prices could encourage more Divvy use.

Ald. Mike Rodriguez, 22nd, who signed onto the resolution, said he was pleased new Divvy stations had been added to his South Side ward, but he was concerned about prices. Ensuring access to reliable and affordable transportation, whether buses, scooters or bikes, is important, he said.

“In order for our city to be world class, we’ve got to make sure that all of our city’s residents have affordable and safe options,” he said.

Audrey Wennink, director of transportation at the Metropolitan Planning Council, said she was concerned about the price increases and the seemingly fewer nonelectric bikes on the street. With fewer pedal bikes, riders might have no option other than to pay sometimes hefty charges for e-bikes, she said.

She recalled attempting to ride a Divvy from the Field Museum to Lakeview, and abandoning the idea when she learned the trip would cost $18. Wennink, who usually rides a personal bike, is not a Divvy member.

“That’s a very changed dynamic,” she said. “I think it’s making riding regularly less attractive for many people.”

Wennink speculated the price changes could shift Divvy use toward tourists, who are likely to only ride a handful of times during a visit and so might be less sensitive to higher prices than someone relying on a shared bike for a daily commute.

Lyft said it was open to exploring the need and demand for more nonelectric, pedal bikes, and CDOT said it was open to working with the company to add more of the classic bikes.

The company highlighted member pricing, saying the majority of rides are taken by members, who are also likely to ride more often.

“As we deliver citywide service, we are prioritizing affordable access for members and we have also seen our reduced fare membership program, Divvy for Everyone, quadruple in size,” Lyft spokesman Jordan Levine said.

CDOT also highlighted member rates, and said Divvy’s unchanged income-qualifying program is particularly important to the city, which views the bike-share program as a form of public transit.

Amid the Divvy price changes and deployment challenges, CDOT brought in less money from the bike-share program this year than at any point since Lyft took over operation in 2019. That was largely because the city gave a $2.25 million credit to Lyft for fare promotions and to get a new scooter program up and running. The credit brought Lyft’s annual payment to the city down to about $6.1 million.

CDOT spends Divvy income in areas such as bike lane maintenance, biking education, the city’s Vision Zero program to reduce traffic injuries and deaths, and support software.

CDOT said the credits to Lyft ultimately went back into micromobility. Overall funding for transportation and bike infrastructure remains strong and includes the city’s ongoing capital plan, the agency said.

The contract with Lyft is expected to bring in nearly $77 million from the Divvy program through 2027, and Lyft is investing $50 million in expanding the Divvy system, CDOT said. Before Lyft took over the program in 2019, the city did not have the resources to modernize or expand Divvy, CDOT said.

“Funding for transportation and bike infrastructure has never been stronger in Chicago,” CDOT said in a statement.

sfreishtat@chicagotribune.com