Lincoln Square Area Getting 22 Kiosks in New Bike Share Program

The 47th Ward will soon be scattered with 22 new bike sharing stations, and local officials have already set their sights on a number of locations in Lincoln Square they plan to install them. 

Bill Higgins, Ald. Ameya Pawar's (47th) program analyst and coordinator, confirmed Chicago’s bike sharing program is moving full steam ahead. With funding approved, officials are identifying potential locations at high-traffic areas, especially along the former No. 11 Lincoln Avenue bus route. 

Six kiosks will be funded by the alderman's menu improvement fund and tax increment finance districts will fund another two to three, Higgins said. The Chicago Department of Transportation will also plan to fund for several along the Brown Line. 

"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."

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Equally as important as the bike stations locations is the deadline. CDOT said its goal is to install all kiosks by June this year.

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. A total of 172 people have voted for those three locations as of Tuesday.

Specific locations will be released in the following weeks, Higgins said. 

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