Title

February 2015: What Areas In Chicago Would Benefit From A Divvy Station?

Creator

Ryan Adriatico

Preview

Creation Date

2015-01-30

Description

Completed in GEO 441 – GIS for Community Development, Ryan Adriatico’s map depicts an analysis of access to low cost, public transit options with an emphasis on Divvy, Chicago’s first bike sharing program. Established in Chicago on June 28, 2013, Divvy is still growing, and this map will give context as to where the service needs to branch out. On top of being a low-cost alternative, Divvy also offers an option that has a low environmental impact, as it creates less vehicular transport, meaning less carbon emissions and congestion. Access to transportation is a common indicator of one’s quality of life, allowing people to go to work, school, and fulfill the basic needs of their daily lives. Without proper access to transportation, satisfying these basic needs would prove to be troublesome, especially for those in low income areas where vehicle ownership is less likely. What neighborhoods in Chicago, if any, would benefit most by the addition of a Divvy Station?

This map was created using ESRI ArcGIS 10.2. Existing Divvy Stations, CTA Rail Stations, and Bus Stops were plotted to identify the scope of low cost public transit availability in Chicago. Utilizing demographic data from the City of Chicago Data Portal, neighborhoods within Chicago that have over 25% of their population living below the poverty line were identified as communities that are in great need of these low cost transit options. With these regions delineated, 0.5 mile buffers were created around all existing transit locations (excluding buses since their service is expansive and adds to congestion and CO2 emission issues) to depict the areas within these neighborhoods that are well served within a walkable distance to transit. Combining all of this data, neighborhoods that are underserved by transit options with over 25% of their population living below the poverty line were highlighted in red to indicate areas that could benefit from a Divvy Station. All of these regions are on the South and West side of the city. As it stands, Divvy is more concentrated on the north side of the city. Divvy should strive to serve these communities in order to give them a low-cost transit option with a low environmental impact moving forward. The following community areas would benefit the most from new Divvy Stations: Armour Square, Douglas, Riverdale, Auburn Gresham, Englewood, South Chicago, Austin, Fuller Park, South Deering, Bronzeville, Grand Crossing, South Shore, Burnside, Lower West Side, Washington Park, Chatham, New City, West Pullman, Chicago Lawn, North Lawndale, Woodlawn, Chinatown, Oakland.