PORTAGE PARK — Six Corners now has three Divvy stations — and the station near Milwaukee and Kilbourn avenues at the Grayland Metra station is the first in the city to be installed on property owned by Metra.
But plans for a fourth Divvy station filled with sky-blue bicycles near Schurz High School at Addison Street and Milwaukee Avenue have been dropped because of a budget crunch, said Susan Hofer, a spokeswoman for the Chicago Department of Transportation.
"There was only enough money for three stations," Hofer said. "It made more sense to be next to the Metra station."
The station at the Grayland stop on Metra's Milwaukee District North linewill serve more riders, Hofer said.
"We've seen Divvy use at our downtown stations continue to grow and our hope is that increased access to Divvy at our other stations will encourage more people to use Metra by making it even more accessible, especially at stations with limited parking," Metra CEO Don Orseno said.
The Divvy station at Grayland joins two other bicycle-sharing stations near Six Corners in Portage Park that opened in July near Montrose and Knox avenues near the Montrose station on the CTA Blue Line and at Milwaukee and Cuyler avenues in the Six Corners Shopping District outside the Portage Theater.
Arena announced in August that his office would install buffered bicycle lanes on Milwaukee Avenue between Addison Street and Lawrence Avenue. Those bike lanes along with the Divvy stations represent "an important expansion of travel options in the 45th Ward," Arena said.
"These Divvy stations to the east and at Six Corners represent a fun and healthy way for workers, residents, and visitors to get to and from our community," Arena said.
About 330 commuters use the Grayland Station on an average weekday — but there are only 21 parking spots, Metra officials said.
The first Divvy station in the 45th Ward opened near the Irving Park Road CTA Blue Line station in 2015.
Six Corners business owners have been petitioning city officials since December 2013 to bring the bike-sharing service to the area around Irving Park Road and Cicero and Milwaukee avenues to help boost their efforts to bring new life to the once-thriving area by making it more bike-friendly.
While Six Corners waited for Divvy bikes to arrive, the association raised $10,000 as part of an online fundraising campaign for three bike corrals that would provide parking spaces for 36 bikes in the shopping district.
In addition, the association crafted a plan with the Active Transportation Alliance to help pedestrians and cyclists get around safely.
This summer's expansion will bring the city's total number of Divvy stations to about 580, covering just less than half the city's total area.
The fee for an annual Divvy membership is $99. A daily pass costs $9.95, officials said.
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