Seven City of Chicago high school students who used their creativity to show support for the recent expansion of Chicago’s Divvy bike-sharing program were crowned today as winners of a “Design-a-Divvy” competition in which they decorated customized bikes in honor of their communities. The announcement came just days after Mayor Rahm Emanuel unveiled the Divvy for Everyone (D4E) program, which makes it possible for low income Chicagoans who lack access to a credit or debit card to qualify for a discounted, one-time annual Divvy membership of $5.

“Divvy is making a mark on an increasing number of Chicago neighborhoods, and we’re very excited to see so many Chicago Public Schools participate in this fun design contest that allowed these great students to make their mark on a Divvy bike,” Mayor Emanuel said. “This is a sign that our efforts to make Chicago the most bike-friendly city in America are paying off across the City.”

Officials from Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT), Divvy and Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Illinois, Divvy’s exclusive system sponsor, paid tribute to the winners of the “Design-a-Divvy” competition in a ceremony today at the Center for Green Technology. The contest was conducted in public high schools serving communities opened new stations this spring, as part of its continuing growth.

Each of the selected designs will be on display – emblazoned on the fender and basket of a special edition Divvy bike – in the communities they represent: Logan Square, Humboldt Park, Little Italy, Pilsen, Uptown, and South Loop.

The contest results are being announced as Divvy nears the completion of its expansion, which made Divvy the largest bike share system in North America in terms of number of stations and geographic area served. Under the expansion, Divvy system has now reached 473 and expects to reach the full build out of 476 stations in coming weeks. The system now spans 86.7 square miles across Chicago, from Touhy Avenue on the north, to 75th Street on the south and as far west as Pulaski Road.

The winners of the Design-a-Divvy contest were selected by a panel of judges from CDOT, Divvy, and Chicago Public Schools (CPS) and were chosen based on their creativity in capturing their neighborhood’s unique fabric among Chicago’s mosaic of communities.

“These beautiful designs that we are honoring illustrate how communities across Chicago are embracing bike-sharing as a convenient form of transportation, as well a source of recreation and exercise,” CDOT Commissioner Rebekah Scheinfeld said. “They’re an expression of neighborhood pride. The addition of local Divvy stations gives residents in these communities one more reason to be proud of where they live.”

The contest was administered throughout more 60 CPS high schools. The names and grades of the contest winners are as follows:

Kyrie A. Cantarero, 12th Grade, Logan Square

Lucas Cox, 11th Grade, Humboldt Park

Claire Fridkin, 10th Grade, Little Italy

Edgar Madrigal, 11th Grade, Pilsen

Sonia Muzemil, Uptown, 10th Grade

Nia Robinson, 9th Grade, South Loop

Pablo Sanchez, 9th Grade, Gage Park

The winners received a certificate from CDOT and Divvy, a $100 Target gift card, Divvy merchandise and replicas of their artwork showcased on a bike. Read more on the winners and their designs.

On July 7th, the Mayor announced the launch of the D4E program which is open to Chicago residents who have a maximum combined household income of 300 percent of the federal poverty level. D4E provides a one-time one-year membership for $5 with no credit or debit card required. A credit card is required to sign up for a standard Divvy membership, which costs $75.

For more details about the D4E program, go to: www.Divvybikes.com/d4e

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About Divvy

Divvy is Chicago’s newest transit system, giving Chicago residents and visitors a bike on-demand at hundreds of stations across the city. Intended to provide an additional transportation option for getting around, Divvy is a convenient, fast, fun and affordable. For more information and a map of station locations, visit DivvyBikes.com. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois is the exclusive System Sponsor of Divvy.

About Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois

With 8 million members, BCBSIL, a division of Health Care Service Corporation, a Mutual Legal Reserve Company, is the largest health insurance company in Illinois. Begun in 1936 in Chicago, BCBSIL remains member owned rather than publicly traded, and is committed to promoting the health and wellness of its members and its communities, fostering greater access to care, and working to lower the overall cost of care while improving the health care quality and patient outcomes. Learn more at www.bcbsil.com, www.facebook.com/bluecrossblueshieldofillinois and www.twitter.com/bcbsil.