# The Divvy vote is at 12:30 p.m. today. What changed since the committee put it off 8 to 4, and what to watch

*Twenty-five groups wrote in favor of the Lyft extension, Lime answered with a poll, and the City says riders took more than 3.5 million trips since June. We found no change to the deal itself.*

By Chicago Politics · Updated Nov 13, 2026

The Committee on Pedestrian and Traffic Safety meets at 12:30 p.m. today in the Council chamber, and the Mayor's five-year Divvy extension with Lyft is on the agenda ([meeting page](/meeting/5B56424B-D4D2-F111-A05C-001DD80B58E5)). The notice says votes may be taken.

Why it matters: the ordinance decides who runs the City-owned bike and scooter share through January 2033 and how much room competitors such as Lime get in the busiest parts of town. A committee recommendation would send it to the full Council, which next meets Dec. 8.

This follows [Thursday's story](/on-my-block/divvy-vote-friday-amended-agenda-92nd-street-bridge-hearing-crash-report) on the amended agenda and [Wednesday's](/on-my-block/divvy-lyft-extension-2033-back-in-committee-friday-lime-core-area-scooters) on what the deal does.

## What happened Oct. 9

The committee voted 8 to 4 to put off the vote after Ald. Bennett Lawson (44th) moved to defer, [Streetsblog Chicago reported](https://chi.streetsblog.org/2026/10/09/lime-squeezes-out-a-victory-as-divvy-lyft-contract-extension-committee-vote-is-deferred-but-alders-approved-expansion-of-smart-streets-camera-enforcement). Chair Daniel La Spata (1st) voted against waiting. Ald. Timmy Knudsen (43rd) said he backed parts of the plan but asked what waiting would cost. Lime had asked the committee to wait until the new year. The public reports we found don't list how each member voted, and the Clerk's record shows only that the ordinance was held ([record page](/matter/O2026-0028871-amended-operator-agreement-lyft-bikes-scooters)).

## What's changed since

- **The deal:** we found no reported amendment. The record lists the same ordinance and exhibits filed Sept. 23.
- **A letter for it:** 25 transportation and community groups, including the Active Transportation Alliance, Equiticity, Better Streets Chicago and West Town Bikes, asked the committee on Nov. 11 to approve the extension. They tied their backing to five asks: cheaper everyday rides, more bikes and stations where they're needed, safer streets, keeping local and union jobs, and continued City oversight through the Department of Transportation ([the groups' release](https://activetransportation.org/media/25-organizations-urge-chicago-city-council-to-support-divvy-contract-renewal/)).
- **A poll against parts of it:** Lime released a YouGov survey of 800 Chicagoans: 58% backed allowing more shared e-bikes from companies other than Lyft and 69% backed more shared scooters in the Loop, [Block Club Chicago reported](https://blockclubchicago.org/2026/11/12/will-the-city-extend-its-divvy-contract-council-to-consider-future-of-bike-rentals-in-chicago/). A poll paid for by one side measures what it asks; it isn't evidence of how the deal would work.
- **Ridership:** Divvy riders took more than 3.5 million bike and scooter trips from June 1 on, and July and August each topped 1 million for the first time, the City said, per Block Club.

## What to watch today

- **The "core area."** The deal expands, in stages, the downtown and lakefront zone where Lime is held to 4% of its fleet, Streetsblog reported. Lime says that's the heart of its objection and has said it could leave Chicago.
- **Equity pricing.** Supporters point to a 50% discount on trips that start and end in Equity Priority Areas.
- **Who moves to defer again.** Lawson made the October motion; the committee has 15 members ([committee page](/committee/pedestrian-and-traffic-safety)).
- **Station rules.** The Department of Transportation's package ends far-from-station parking and adds stations, Streetsblog reported.

## What our records add

Lyft's registered lobbyists reported lobbying on "Divvy operations and contract extension" from July through September, the most recent quarter on file. Our [record page](/matter/O2026-0028871-amended-operator-agreement-lyft-bikes-scooters) lists alderpersons who received contributions from those lobbyists, including committee members La Spata, Hopkins, Robinson, Yancy, Chico and Burnett. Our lobbying records match no Lime filing to this ordinance. Money near a vote is not evidence it influenced the vote.

## What's next

If the committee recommends it today, the ordinance could be on the Council's Dec. 8 agenda. If it's held again, Lyft keeps running Divvy under its current agreement for now. We'll report the vote.


## Legislation in this story

- [Amended operator agreement with Lyft Bikes and Scooters LLC for operation and management of Divvy for Everyone bike sharing system](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/matter/O2026-0028871-amended-operator-agreement-lyft-bikes-scooters) (O2026-0028871)

## Sources

1. City Clerk: [O2026-0028871: Amended operator agreement with Lyft Bikes and Scooters LLC for operation and management of Divvy for Everyone bike sharing system](https://chicityclerkelms.chicago.gov/Matter/?matterId=FD6577A8-7CB7-F111-AAAC-001DD80B58E5)
2. City Clerk: [O2026-0028871, EDS: O2026-0028871 EDS_Redacted.pdf](https://occprodstoragev1.blob.core.usgovcloudapi.net/matterattachmentspublic/3016d9c5-83cd-4c38-a6cb-e84ca16d04fe.pdf)
3. City Clerk: [O2026-0028871, Miscellaneous: O2026-0028871 Mayoral Letter.pdf](https://occprodstoragev1.blob.core.usgovcloudapi.net/matterattachmentspublic/46e81400-4c9b-4128-87f6-a380597468d6.pdf)
4. City Clerk: [O2026-0028871, Exhibits: O2026-0028871 Ex A Amended Operator Agreement with Attachments A thru C.pdf](https://occprodstoragev1.blob.core.usgovcloudapi.net/matterattachmentspublic/4c6347ff-39f7-4460-85f5-af5d1628a105.pdf)
5. City Clerk: [O2026-0028871, Legislation: O2026-0028871 Ordinance.pdf](https://occprodstoragev1.blob.core.usgovcloudapi.net/matterattachmentspublic/e75524e2-cb3a-463d-b3e4-e9f923e11d2c.pdf)
6. chi.streetsblog.org: [Streetsblog Chicago reported](https://chi.streetsblog.org/2026/10/09/lime-squeezes-out-a-victory-as-divvy-lyft-contract-extension-committee-vote-is-deferred-but-alders-approved-expansion-of-smart-streets-camera-enforcement)
7. activetransportation.org: [the groups' release](https://activetransportation.org/media/25-organizations-urge-chicago-city-council-to-support-divvy-contract-renewal/)
8. Block Club Chicago: [Block Club Chicago reported](https://blockclubchicago.org/2026/11/12/will-the-city-extend-its-divvy-contract-council-to-consider-future-of-bike-rentals-in-chicago/)
9. Chicago Politics: [O2026-0028871: votes, timeline and summary](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/matter/O2026-0028871-amended-operator-agreement-lyft-bikes-scooters)
10. City of Chicago: [Neighborhood and community area boundaries (Chicago Data Portal)](https://data.cityofchicago.org/d/y6yq-dbs2)

On the map: [Loop](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/on-my-block/neighborhoods/loop), [1st Ward](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/ward/1), [43rd Ward](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/ward/43), [44th Ward](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/ward/44)

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Source: https://www.chicagopolitics.org/on-my-block/divvy-vote-today-25-groups-back-lyft-deal-lime-poll-what-to-watch · Chicago Politics, an independent tracker of the Chicago City Council. Guide for agents: https://www.chicagopolitics.org/llms.txt