Bicycle Registration

The Evanston Police Department has developed a free online bicycle registration form in order to reduce bicycle theft, to make registration of bicycles easier for Evanston residents, and to help locate owners of recovered bicycles. 

Bicycle Parking 

Many transit stops and shopping areas have bike racks for convenient bike parking. The city also provides safe and covered bike parking at two parking garages: 1800 Maple Self Park and Sherman Plaza Self Park. Never leave your bike unlocked, even if you’re parking it for a short time. When locking your bike, it is recommended to lock it to something that’s permanently fixed to the ground using a high-quality U-Lock or chain. 

Bicycles on Transit

While many commuters turn to public transportation as an affordable alternative to driving a car, the bus and/or train stop may be a considerable distance from your final destination. With that in mind, public transit allows bikes on buses and trains. 

• CTA: 

  • All CTA buses are equipped to hold two bikes on the front of the vehicle during travel. Learn how to load your bike on a CTA bus here. 

  • Bikes are allowed on CTA train cars with the exception of weekday rush hour periods from 7am to 9am and 4pm to 6pm. 

  • Learn more about bikes on the CTA.

• Metra: 

  • Bikes are allowed on Metra trains except on weekdays before 9:30AM on inbound Chicago trains and on weekdays between 3PM and 7PM on outbound Chicago trains.  

  • Learn more about bikes on Metra.

• Pace Suburban Bus: 

  • All Pace buses are equipped to hold two bikes on the vehicle during travel.

  • Learn how to load your bike on a Pace bus. 
    
    

Divvy Bike Share Program

The Divvy Bike Share Program rolled into the City of Evanston in June 2016 with 10 stations and 100 bikes. Today there are 14 stations and 140 bikes. To learn more about memberships and pricing, visit Divvy’s website. To see where stations and bikes are located, check out this map.

Divvy for Everyone (D4E): The City of Evanston aims to make the Divvy bike share program available to all Evanstonians through D4E. Qualified residents are able to purchase a year long Divvy membership for only $5. For more information on eligibility and registration, click here.

Bike shops

Evanston is home to several bike shops. Whether you need a tune-up, accessories, a new bike, or a clinic these shops can get you saddled up to ride.

• Bucephalus Bikes – 1424 Lake St. (847) 864-0924

• Everyday Cycles & Motion – 941 Chicago Ave. (847) 563-8362

• Mack's Bike & Goods - 2948 Central St. (847) 877-8877

• The Pony Shop – 1224 Chicago Ave. (847) 864-5775

• Wheel & Sprocket – 1027 Davis St. (847) 864-7660

Test your bike safety knowledge!

Discover relevant laws and best safety strategies for sharing the road successfully by taking The Bike Safety Quiz, created by Ride Illinois, a nonprofit organization working statewide for better bicycling conditions.

To stay up to date on everything bike-related in Evanston, follow @bikeevanston on twitter!

For more information about Bike Plans, Policies, and Initiatives, please visit the Evanston’s Transportation and Mobility webpage.