Jump bikes: Scrap Emanuel’s bike-share plan with Lyft for a fairer deal with us

Uber's bike share service JUMP. | Courtesy of JUMP

It’s important to set the record straight about the impact of the exclusive, back-door deal the city of Chicago struck with Lyft, which owns Divvy.

Most Chicagoans would agree that any company that wants to invest in Chicago should be invited to do so. But the no-bid, exclusive contract the city proposed grants Divvy a monopoly and slams the door on a larger and undeniably more equitable proposal from Jump. (Jump is owned by Uber.)

Divvy has served the North Side well, but the sad reality is that the South and West sides are being neglected. That’s why we proposed to Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s office that Jump invest $450 million to enhance infrastructure, create 500 jobs on the West and South sides, and bring bikes to all 50 wards.

We planned to expand citywide alongside Divvy, neither demanding or needing exclusivity. More importantly, we planned to introduce bike service first on the South and West sides by May 2019, immediately addressing Divvy’s most obvious failure.

By pushing a smaller, slower and exclusive proposal, the city does a disservice to all Chicagoans. Residents should enjoy the new jobs, infrastructure improvements and additional revenue that comes from both investments. All of Chicago should have access to bikes in 2019, not wait for 2021 as Divvy proposes.

The good news is that City Council has a voice in this matter. In two weeks, aldermen will vote to either approve or amend this contract.

Jump’s position is clear: do both. Let Divvy expand through 2021 and let Jump bring bikes to all 50 wards within two months. I hope all Chicagoans will join us in urging their aldermen to reject exclusive deals. Two investments are better than one.

Robert Eckardt, Jump general manager

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“Windy City Rehab” karma

The irony of the dust-up (pun intended) with the TV show “Windy City Rehab” is heart warming to many people who were gentrified out of Wicker Park, Bucktown, Ukrainian Village, Lincoln Square and Lincoln Park, where the show is flipping buildings and upsetting condo and homeowners these days.

Developers and house-flipper companies, aka neighborhood killers, came into these neighborhoods and started buying out houses from long-time residents in the early 2000’s. They upset other long-time homeowners with the same complaints of noise, trash, and unsecured work sites.

Now, the people who bought their homes from these developers and house flippers are getting served up the some karma by “Windy City Rehab.”

What goes around, comes around.

Walter Brzeski, Dunning

Start with banning gun ads to end gun violence

I agree with the Sun-Times editorial “New Zealand takes action after gun violence. America should, too” (March 22). We have to look to New Zealand’s example, come together and, once and for all, find a way to keep those individuals who prey on the innocent from obtaining and owning guns. New Zealand, unlike America, does not have that pesky 2nd Amendment to deal with. They also don’t have an estimated 350 million guns already in circulation.

By the way, a start would be to follow the lead of America’s war on tobacco and ban advertising of guns. Change starts slowly.

Robert Angone, Miramar Beach, Florida