Bike Sharing Locations Announced With Five Along Lincoln Avenue

Specific locations are finalized for Chicago's new bike sharing program. 

Riders in Lincoln Square and Northcenter will be able to catch bikes at five locations on Lincoln Avenue and five more near Brown Line Stations. A total of 22 bike share stations will be installed throughout Ward 47.

Six kiosks will be funded by the alderman's menu improvement fund and tax increment finance districts will fund another two to three, said Bill Higgins, Ward 47's program analyst and coordinator. The Chicago Department of Transportation is funding the remaining kiosks. 

"We asked that they be sure to include the new Ravenswood Metra Station, the Ravenswood Corridor and Lincoln Avenue," Higgins told Patch in an email. "While it won't make up for the bus getting cut, the bike share will make it easier for some residents who had once relied on the No. 11."

Those locations are included, along with three on Damen Avenue and several on Clark and Ashland Avenue. CDOT said its goal is to install all kiosks by June this year.

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Chicago is hoping to add 3,000 bikes in the sharing program, with plans to increase that number to 4,000 by 2014. Riders can buy a one-day pass for $7, or a yearly pass for $75. The first 30 minutes of every ride is free, followed by a $1.50 surcharge for an extra 30 minutes.

In October, city officials asked residents to suggest locations where they’d like to pick up and drop off bikes around town on a new interactive map.

More than 50 locations were suggested in Lincoln Square, with the most popular at the Western Brown Line Station, Damen Brown Line Station and the intersection of Montrose and Lincoln Avenues. 

Read previous: 

• Bike Sharing: Residents to Choose Kiosk Locations
• Pawar Gathering Support to Save No. 11 Bus
• No. 11 Route Reduction Eliminates Riders' 'Lifeline' Today
• Residents: Vote Online for Ward 47 Improvements