Why Ride a Bike in Chicago: The Five Reasons the Bike Station Gave in 2013, Updated

The old chicagobikestation.com opened its home page with a list. Biking, it said, would keep a rider fit, save time and money, make the city fun and spare the planet.⁴ That list is a 2013 record of the pitch behind the Millennium Park bike station. This page keeps each of the five claims and checks it against what Chicago and public agencies publish now. The station itself is covered in the station hub.

1. Health and fitness

In 2013 the page called biking a great cardiovascular workout that does wonders for circulation and muscle tone, and it said exercise is easier to maintain when it sits inside a daily routine.⁴ It added that commuting by bike could save a trip to the gym.⁴

Northwestern Medicine agrees on the substance. It lists improved cardiovascular health, increased muscle strength and endurance, support for weight management, improved balance and coordination, and help with stress, anxiety and depression.⁷ Biking to work for 30 minutes burns about 300 calories on average.⁷ Casual and serious riders get the same health benefits.⁷

2. Time

The 2013 page said biking is often faster than driving and that a rider wastes no time looking for parking.⁴ Chicagoans now ride shared bikes at scale: they took 12.9 million trips on shared bikes and scooters in 2025, the highest total on record.⁵ Divvy alone logged 6.8 million rides, its best year.⁵

3. Money

The 2013 page listed what a bike saved: gas, insurance, tickets and headaches.⁴ AAA’s 2025 study puts the average cost to own and operate a new car at $11,577, $719 less than in 2024.⁶ That figure is averaged over five years and 75,000 miles.⁶

A Divvy annual membership is $143.90 a year, or $99 in a limited offer for new members, and a day pass is $19.90.³ See Divvy pricing for how the plans compare.

4. Fun, and where to ride

In 2013 the page called Chicago a beautiful city to bike, with more than 120 miles of bike lanes.⁴ The city’s current count is higher: over 500 miles of bikeways, still growing.¹ The two numbers are not like for like, because the page counted lanes and the City now counts bikeways of every type.

The network is changing in character. Eighty-five percent of planned projects are protected bike lanes and neighborhood greenways.¹ More than half of the network’s expansion has been on the South and West sides.¹

The Lakefront Trail remains the headline. Since 2018 it has been split into an 18-mile bike trail and an 18.5-mile pedestrian trail, running from Ardmore Avenue on the north to 71st Street on the south.² The Park District describes a mix of commuters, marathon trainers, caregivers with strollers, tourists on rental bikes and people out for a stroll.² For routes, start with the Lakefront Trail guide and biking in Chicago for first-timers.

5. The planet

The 2013 page said bicycles do not use fossil fuels, cause ozone depletion or emit deadly pollutants.⁴ The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency explains why the contrast matters: over 94% of the fuel used for transportation is petroleum based, and transportation is the largest source of direct greenhouse gas emissions.⁸

What changed since 2013

The bike station that made this pitch opened in 2004 with parking for up to 300 bikes and closed in 2022.⁹ The pitch outlived it: the City counts over 500 miles of bikeways, and shared bike and scooter trips set a record in 2025.^1,5 For commuters, the next step is the bike commuting guide; for the building’s own story, read its history.