Divvy, Chicago’s bike share system, is fully prepared for the upcoming busy spring and summer cycling seasons by releasing 700 bikes that were in winter storage back into the system at its 300 stations.

In just nine months of operations, Chicagoans and visitors to the city have taken more than 900,000 trips and have collectively ridden an estimated two million miles, passing the milestone yesterday.

“This spring and summer, we expect even more Chicagoans and visitors to start using bike sharing as a transit option for getting around the city,” said Mayor Rahm Emanuel. “Divvy has already been a great success, and with the improved weather comes the chance for more of us to get outside and ride a bike.”

In an effort to encourage more Chicagoans to try Divvy for the first time or purchase an annual membership, Mayor Emanuel declared that April 21-27 would be “Divvy Week” in Chicago. During that week, all 24-hour passes, regularly $7, will be available for just $5. Chicagoans who sign up for new annual memberships would receive Chipotle gift cards, and other prizes and promotional discounts would be made available to current Divvy members.

The system typically keeps at least 2,500 of its 3,000 bikes out at one time, but reduced that number to 1,800 over the winter during the slower season. Once a month, Divvy bike checkers and mechanics put each bike through a routine maintenance check to ensure it’s safe for riding.

“We’re excited for the season ahead. Divvy wasn’t even a transit option last April, so this is our first spring,” said Elliot Greenberger, general manager of Divvy. “We’ve already developed a devoted group of annual members, but we anticipate a lot more residents and visitors giving us a try now that they’ve had a chance to see the system at work and the weather improving.”

The spring weather comes as Divvy celebrates an estimated two million miles ridden since it launched just over nine months ago on June 28, 2013. In that time, 907,883 trips have been taken by more than 15,000 annual members and 140,000 24-hour pass holders. In the first week of April alone, riders took more than 25,000 trips as temperatures rose above 40 degrees.

In a recently conducted survey, Divvy annual members said they were highly satisfied with Chicago’s new bike share service, and claim to save an average of more than $760 a year on commuting expenses by riding a bike rather than using cars, taxis or other forms of transit.

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