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Even though biking has been around for centuries, bike-sharing programs have recently gained popularity. In large cities where public buses, subways and cars can be inefficient modes of transportation, bicycles end up becoming a lot of people's first choice. However, since cities are known for having small living spaces, keeping a bike in a crammed apartment is difficult as well. In order to provide easy access to bikes without sacrificing room, city governments have developed bike-sharing programs throughout the county and now, the largest one will be in Chicago.

Chicago has just received a three million federal grant that will help fund the expansion of the city's current bike-sharing program named Divvy. Mayor Rahm Emanuel revealed plans to install 75 more sidewalk docking stations, where bikes are returned to be rented by other people. There are plans for another 100 to be installed next year. City dwellers can expect to see more bright blue bikes throughout Chicago.

"Chicagoans have thoroughly embraced Divvy and the idea of bike sharing as part of their everyday commutes," Emanuel said according to NBC Chicago. "These additional resources will allow us to extend the system so even more residents and visitors can use this new transit system to get around the city and its neighborhoods."

The Mayor announced that by next year, Divvy would most likely grow to 475 stations. This number means that Chicago will have the largest system in the U.S. and in Canada. New York has 331 docking stations and Montreal has 434. Divvy opened in Chicago four months ago and has logged 650,000 trips so far. The city also reported that there are around 11,000 members signed up for the annual contract. Annual membership costs $75 per year and riders are allowed to bike for 30-minute intervals as often as they like. A day pass costs $7 for an unlimited number of rides done in 30-minute intervals.

"As Divvy expands into more neighborhoods, and we build a 650-mile bikeway network throughout our communities, Chicago is quickly becoming the best biking city in North America," Chicago Department of Transportation Commissioner Gabe Klein said. "A large bike sharing system with better cycling infrastructure will encourage more Chicagoans to use bicycles as a regular means of transportation."