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Bikes ​

Divvy Prices Rise Tomorrow ​

Starting Wednesday, March 11, Divvy is raising its rates for the first time in recent memory. The increases are modest but worth knowing:

  • Classic bike overage: 19¢ → 20¢ per minute (after the included 45-minute window)
  • E-bike overage: same, 19¢ → 20¢ per minute
  • Scooter overage: 31¢ → 34¢ per minute — a larger proportional jump
  • Out-of-station parking (e-bikes/scooters): $1.30 → $2.00 for members; $2.60 → $3.00 for casual riders

Divvy says the increases will fund maintenance, system upgrades, and improved parking compliance. That last one is an ongoing frustration — e-bikes and scooters parked outside docking areas have cluttered sidewalks, and higher out-of-station fees are a straightforward nudge toward better behavior.

Context: 2025 was a record year for the system — 12.9 million trips total, with Divvy accounting for 6.8 million. CDOT added 140 new stations last year and is in the middle of electrifying 110 of them (17 already live), which will eliminate nearly 80% of manual battery swaps and boost e-bike availability by at least 15%. For members who mostly ride within the free window, these hikes are essentially invisible. For heavy e-bike or scooter users, the math is worth revisiting.

Quick Reminders for the Week ​

  • Thursday, March 12, 6 PM — Bike Bus Leader Training at Butcher's Tap, 3553 N. Southport Ave. Chicago Family Biking hosts. If you've ever thought about starting a bike bus for kids in your neighborhood, this is the on-ramp.
  • Sunday, March 15 — The Portage Park Neighborhood Bike Network online survey closes. Five minutes, meaningful signal — fill it out if you live, work, or ride in the area.
  • Tuesday, March 17 — Illinois primary. HB 2454, which would designate cyclists as "intended users" of all legal riding roads (closing the loophole that shields municipalities from liability for crash-causing road defects), remains in the Judiciary – Civil Committee. It's a useful question for any state legislative candidate on the ballot.

Housing & Abundance ​

BUILD Plan: The Suburbs Push Back ​

When Governor Pritzker unveiled his BUILD (Building Up Illinois Developments) plan last month — statewide zoning reform to eliminate single-family-only zoning and legalize duplexes through four-flats on all residential land — the Illinois Municipal League objected within days. A week later, the suburbs revolted.

Leaders from Northwest suburban communities have been lining up against the proposal, with one official calling it "crazy." Peoria Mayor Rita Ali traveled to Springfield to say "Zoning and land-based decisions are best made locally." The Metropolitan Mayors Caucus — representing 275 municipalities in northeast Illinois — called for a housing task force to scrutinize the plan before any legislation advances.

The legislative vehicle is House Bill 5626, filed by Rep. Kam Buckner. It would accelerate permitting by allowing applicants to hire private inspectors when municipalities miss deadlines — a provision even critics of the broader plan might find hard to oppose. The $250M capital package (site prep, middle housing development, down payment assistance) will require separate appropriations approval.

The opposition is predictable and largely self-interested: exclusionary zoning has been the primary mechanism through which Illinois suburbs have managed their demographics and class composition for 70 years. That said, infrastructure capacity is a genuine constraint in some communities, and the plan will be stronger if it addresses that directly. Housing Action Illinois has endorsed BUILD; the Tribune editorial board called it overdue. Watch for committee hearings to begin in earnest after the primary.

ADU Countdown: 22 Days ​

The citywide ADU ordinance takes effect April 1 — three weeks from today. Building permit applications open the same day. The ordinance expands the eligible area for ADU construction by approximately 135%, covering all multifamily zoning districts citywide (excluding downtown) plus single-family zones in the original pilot areas.

For single-family (RS) zones outside the pilot areas, individual alderpersons must opt in their blocks — so the landscape will be uneven ward to ward. If you're interested in adding a coach house or conversion unit, now is the time to check your ward's status and line up a contractor who participates in a registered apprenticeship program (required for coach houses, and not as common as you'd hope).

Questions: adu@cityofchicago.org. The Chicago Cityscape ADU tracker is also a useful resource for monitoring permit activity as it picks up.

Reminders: Divvy prices rise March 11. Bike Bus Leader Training: March 12, 6 PM, Butcher's Tap. Portage Park Bike Network survey closes March 15. Illinois primary: March 17. City Council next meets March 18. ADU ordinance effective April 1 (22 days).