Report: Divvy Proving Safe for Chicago Bikers

According to Alex Parker, "data released by the Chicago Department of Transportation shows only 18 cyclists have been in accidents since the [Divvy] program's inception in June 2013."

It's not hard to detect some skepticism by Parker at the news of the report: "Divvy users have logged more than 3.2 million rides in the last 2½ years, and the small number of injuries suffered by riders may surprise skeptics, particularly because helmets aren't required or even included with the rentals. But the Divvy data lines up with national statistics showing bike-sharing cyclists are generally safe, or at least lucky."

Divvy, according to Parker's take, will require some work to overcome the PR damage resulting from "widely shared videos showing Divvy cyclists riding on busy roadways like the Dan Ryan Expressway and Lake Shore Drive."

Parker also details the sterling safety record of bikeshare in New York City as well as the rising number of deaths among all bike riders in Chicago. The 18 reported incidents for Divvy riders, however, provide a laundry list of the threats faced by bikers when left to fend for themselves on streets designed for much larger automobiles. A pothole, a bus, a taxi, and a car door make the list.