Blue Cross Sponsorship Of Divvy Bikes Nets City $12.5M
CHICAGO (CBS) -- The Emanuel Administration has finally landed a corporate sponsor for its Divvy bike-sharing program, a major health insurer that makes a fitting match for the popular blue bikes.
WBBM Newsradio Political Editor Craig Dellimore reports Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois has committed more than $12.5 million over the next five years to be the exclusive corporate sponsor of Divvy bikes.
Divvy bikes and vans now will sport Blue Cross logos, according to Chicago Department of Transportation commissioner Rebekah Scheinfeld.
Divvy Bikes Get First Corporate Sponsor
Mayor Rahm Emanuel said the city plans to use some of the sponsorship money to expand its network of bikes and docking stations.
"This means there are more bikes for riders, and more value for our taxpayers," the mayor said.
For practical reasons, Divvy supplies bikes without helmets, but Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois president Karen Atwood said the company encourages riders to wear helmets.
"As we know, the statistics show that the Divvy bike program has been very successful, and very few if any accidents at all; but we at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois highly encourage you to watch all the safety traffic rules and to wear a helmet," she said.
Atwood, in fact, wore a helmet at the news conference to announce the company's sponsorship of Divvy.
