City working on Ventra-Divvy integration

Transportation Commissioner Rebekah Scheinfeld said Monday she’s working on an “integration” plan that would allow users of Chicago’s wildly-popular Divvy bike-sharing system to use their Ventra fare cards to pay for their rides.

During a joint luncheon address to the City Club of Chicago with CTA President Dorval Carter Jr., Scheinfeld called the bike-sharing service that has already passed the 12-million-ride mark “Chicago’s newest transit service” and a “great complement” to the CTA.

“In locating Divvy stations, we placed them close to CTA stations and bus stops where they can provide that crucial last mile or first-mile access to jobs, schools and other destinations. One-quarter of Divvy stations are within an eighth-of-a-mile of a CTA or Metra station,” she said.

“And we’re working on an integration between the Ventra and the Divvy systems—the mobile systems—to create connections that are easier than ever.”

Currently, Divvy bikes can be accessed by purchasing a 24-hour-pass for $9.95. That buys the user an unlimited number of 30-minute rides over a 24-hour period.

The alternative is to purchase an annual pass for $99 or $9.95-a-month. That buys the user an unlimited number of 30-minute rides for 365 days.

Allowing Ventra card holders to use their cash-less fare cards to pay for Divvy would encourage even more CTA riders to rent bikes for their final leg of the journey to work, school, shopping or recreation.

Pressed on how that connection would work, CDOT spokesman Mike Claffey said, “I believe Divvy is working with Ventra and CTA to integrate the Ventra app, so that you could pay your Divvy pass using Ventra.”

During the question-and-answer session, Carter was asked about the possibility of extending the CTA’s Green Line from its current terminus at 63rd and Cottage Grove to serve the soon-to-be-built Obama Presidential Library.

“I regret to tell you there are no plans at this time to extend the 63rd Street line to Stony Island. Many of you would recall that there was a time when we had the line that went out to Stony Island. Unfortunately, decisions made back then resulted in that line being torn down,” Carter said.

“It’s safe to say that the funding challenges that Rebekah and I were speaking to earlier, particularly at the federal level, really make it a difficult task to pursue at this point in time.”

On a more positive note, Scheinfeld disclosed that the CTA’s long-awaited Washington-Wabash station will finally open for business on Aug. 31.

“This has been a labor of love,” Scheinfeld said.

“The new station will create a gateway to Millennium Park and Michigan Ave., delivering CTA riders to the doorstep of historic Jeweler’s Row as well as the Chicago Cultural Center. It’s expected to become CTA’s fifth-busiest rail station, providing more than 13,000 rides on a daily basis on the Brown, Green, Orange, Pink and Purple Lines. It will also connect with the Loop Link which serves six bus lines that converge on downtown from all corners of the city.”

The new station will replace a pair of 120-year-old stations at Madison and Randolph along Wabash. It will “add to Chicago’s history of bold architecture with its striking modern design,” the commissioner said.

“The undulating waves of the canopy contrast to the city grid. And the steel and glass structure is designed to create a dynamic play of light, reminiscent of the diamond facets that are on display in the historic Jeweler’s Row below.”