First read is on us.

Subscribe today to keep up with the latest travel industry news.

Chicago launches Divvy bike-share program with 65 solar-powered stations


Skift Take

Divvy launched 2 weeks late, which is nothing in comparison to Citibike’s month-long delays, but now both cities are going through the growing pains of folding a boom of bikes into the daily commute at the same time.

Chicago on Friday morning launched a new component of its storied transit system. Divvy, the city’s first bike-share program, kicked off with 65 solar-powered docking stations. The plan is to add hundreds more by next spring. With a fleet of 700 powder-blue bikes, the system will be one of the largest bike-sharing operations in the world.

But most of the stations will stand within a couple miles of the lakefront, clustered mainly in the Loop and densely populated neighborhoods along transit lines.

Up Next

Luxury

The Long Game: Why Family-Owned Hotels Are Redefining Luxury

To find the most pure version of hospitality, travelers are increasingly looking to family-owned properties. Owners take a longer view of stewardship and care more about craft and making the right decisions, and not just the most expedient, profit-friendly ones. 
Hotels

LVMH’s New Luxury Travel Push With Belmond

In 2025, Belmond is rolling out offerings with old-school opulance that feels ripped from the pages of an Agatha Christie novel — if Christie's characters had wellness spas and farm-to-table dining. Think of Belmond as an anti-Aman: less minimalist zen, more maximalist glamour.
Experiences

Why the Need for Play Is Reshaping the Travel Industry

As the experience economy evolves the travel industry, brands are under pressure to meet rising expectations for activity-led bookings. In a fireside chat at Skift Global Forum East, Ross McAuley, MD advisor and director general of Play Qiddiya City DMMO, pulled back the curtain on how play serves as a bridge between destinations and travelers in this new reality.
Sponsored
Tourism

How Saudi’s First Helicopter Company Is Shaping Its Key Sectors: Watch Video

As Saudi Arabia continues to diversify its economy under Vision 2030, new transportation solutions are reshaping key sectors. The country’s premiere commercial helicopter service, The Helicopter Company (THC), is actively contributing to the Kingdom’s transformation through its diverse services.
Sponsored