Keeping Roads Safe with MADD and SDOT on New Year's Eve

Lyft is joining the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) and Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) as an official partner of the City of Seattle’s Vision Zero initiative to eliminate traffic deaths and serious injuries by 2030.

This New Year’s Eve, and throughout 2016, Lyft will work with SDOT to offer Seattleites discounted rides as a safe, reliable, and affordable alternative to driving home after a night out.

Together with MADD and SDOT, we’ll pass out ride coupons and Vision Zero materials at bars, clubs, and major Seattle events, focusing on the neighborhoods with the highest rates of drunk driving: Ballard, Fremont, Capitol Hill, Pioneer Square, Belltown, South Lake Union, and the University District.

“Our mission is to affect positive change in cities through transportation,” says Todd Kelsay, General Manager of Lyft Seattle. “We hope everyone celebrating New Year’s opens the Lyft app to get home safely. Together we can make Seattle’s streets safer for all.”

“Vision Zero goes beyond city government. The creative partnership we’re launching with Lyft will make Seattle streets safer and reduce the number of people driving while impaired,” said Seattle Department of Transportation Director Scott Kubly. “If you’re planning on drinking, plan ahead. Contact Lyft, and connect with us to get a discounted ride.”

We’re proud to be part of this unique initiative to help Seattle eliminate traffic crashes and reach its Vision Zero goal.

If you’re in the Emerald City, tap here to redeem your discounted rides, and stay safe!

2015, That's a Wrap

What a year! To sum up 2015 in the best possible way, we’ve created a most-visited-list, based on all of the rides you took.

We are proud to bring you the Lyfties: a roundup of 2015’s most visited places — from restaurants to transit stops and a few wild cards in between, your rides have spoken and this is what they said.

Whether we picked you up, dropped you off, or put you in the driver’s seat, we’re so glad to have been a part of your 2015 journey. Here’s to going places in 2016!

A Holiday Message

The holidays are a time for celebrations, festive feasts, and hideously ugly sweaters. But they’re also a time to slow down and reflect on what really matters: our connections with others. This season, we wanted to take a moment to share a few of our favorite Lyft moments from 2015. From building each other up after heartbreak, to inventing new products, to saving kittens, it's amazing what the Lyft community can do.

Whether you’re a driver, passenger, or both, thank you — it's you that makes this community so special. May these stories warm your heart, and may your holidays be bright as a Glowstache! Scroll over each photo to read the story.

“I was in Seattle for a few days and wanted to check out Snoqualmie Falls. I called a Lyft ride and met my driver, Walter. As Walter and I started talking in the car, he told me he had actually been wanting to check out Snoqualmie Falls for some time. He ended up joining me on my hike, and on the way back, we stopped by at a roadside fruit stand and had the best Rainier cherries ever. Walter proved that Lyft isn’t just a transportation service; it’s a means of meeting new friends, sharing great conversations, and having unheard of adventures. Thanks for the unforgettable experience!” -Alice from LA

Sacramento driver Jan, affectionately known as MomLyft, makes sure her passengers never go hungry. Here she dropped a passenger off at work — then came back with lunch!

"Gary requested a Lyft ride to go to meet his girlfriend. When we arrived, he asked her to marry him! She said yes, of course. I was so glad to capture the moment and to be an important part of this wonderful event."
-Seattle driver Chakrit

Austin Lyft drivers came together to donate their tips and fundraise in the fight against AIDS. Together they raised over $4,000 for the Austin AIDS Walk.

"Shoutout to my new friend and hearing-impaired Lyft driver Bridget! I loved signing back and forth with her."
-Dena in Chicago

"We were stopped a busy intersection when we saw this little fur ball of a kitten dodging traffic going 50+ miles per hour. Before I knew it, my driver Hinton hopped out of the car, stopped a semi truck that was coming, and ran out in the middle of the highway to scoop him up! I was then worried we might have to just leave him somewhere, but Hinton agreed that after surviving that there was no way we could just leave him. We took him to an animal shelter about 20 minutes away so he could become adopted and live a full life. It’s everyday heroes like Hinton that make a difference!” -Christy in Austin

Nearly a year ago, Kyle took a Lyft ride with Denver driver Devin, who told him he’d invented a magnetic belt and was driving with Lyft to get the idea off the ground. When Kyle saw the product, he immediately said “I want to partner with you!” The two exchanged numbers, added a third friend, Mike, and a business was born. Kyle’s gut feeling was right: today Magzook Tightening Systems has become the most-backed belt in crowdfunding history!

"I parted with this lovely ring for a good reason today. I asked my Lyft driver how long she's been driving with Lyft and she said six months. 'It's kept me sane for the past six months,' she said, and she proceeded to tell me that her husband just left her after 22 years of marriage. I told her I personally understood how devastating divorce can be. I showed her my ring and told her I've learned there is always hope, and that I've made it a point to remind myself of that daily. At the end of the ride she said she was going to find her own symbol of hope on her day off — so I gave her mine. I've had it long enough to be reminded without it. It's these little moments with strangers that I feel so much love. I live for moments like these." -Kimberly in San Antonio

"I was about to stop driving and call it a night, but then I got one last request. The passenger, J, had lost his house key in a friend's car a few towns over. I said 'alright, let's go get 'em!' It took us awhile, but we found the keys! We had such a fun ride that we stopped to grab a bite on the way back. Sure, I was out later than expected, but it was such a great adventure!" -Courtney in SF

"I picked up a Lyft passenger and he tried ordering flowers for a special someone on the phone. They were outrageously priced for same day delivery! So I stopped by a flower shop so he could hand-pick a bouquet and then I offered to drop them off to her after I drove him home." -Renee in Dallas

Thanks for Playing Gift Roulette!

‘Tis the season to ride, unwrap, and be merry! Last week, we stuffed select #LyftGiftRoulette cars to the brim with presents for lucky passengers. From New York City to Los Angeles, passengers were surprised with everything from hoverboards to shopping sprees to signed Snoop Dogg records. How’s that for being on the nice list?

 

Matt from LA won the grand prize: a trip for two to New York City to see his very own billboard in Times Square!

 

Here’s to the spirit of giving this season. Happy holidays!

Lyft Launches Fuel Rewards for Drivers at Shell

In October, we introduced three new amazing programs for drivers. At our headquarters in San Francisco, hundreds of drivers were on-hand to hear (and cheer!) as we announced Shell, Express Pay, and Hertz perks. Today, we’re excited to officially launch our partnership with Shell to drivers nationwide, and to give you insights into our progress with Express Pay and Hertz.

Shell: Big Savings at the Pump

Starting today, all Lyft users can enroll with Fuel Rewards® program and start saving at the gas pump! In San Francisco, Chicago, and Boston, we’ll be testing tiered Fuel Rewards with select groups of drivers. Under the “Drive More, Earn More” program, the more you drive on the Lyft platform, the more you save. Lyft’s power drivers could earn as much as $3.00 off per gallon – and entire free tanks of fuel. Drivers nationwide can save $0.25 per gallon in Fuel Rewards savings for their first fill-up, while we refine the tiered program to eventually bring it nationwide. There's something for everyone. People can redeem their rewards simply by typing in their personal pin code at the Shell pump.

If you pass by a Shell station, you might also notice some new decor that isn’t just for the holidays. Lyft signage will be featured at more than 1,000 Shell stations across the country, from Seattle to Miami and nearly 15 other cities in between. Current car owners filling up at the pump can also enjoy fuel savings – and a new way to supplement their existing income – by becoming Lyft drivers themselves. Eligible new drivers can earn up to $200 in fuel savings.

Express Pay: Instant Deposits

To help power our drivers through the holiday season and beyond, Express Pay – a payment product that lets drivers cash out instantly – is live across the country! In the weeks since Express Pay launched, the response from our driver community has been overwhelming. More than 30% of drivers on the Lyft platform have used Express Pay at least once, depositing more than $11 million in earnings. We hear from drivers every day that Express Pay has made a huge impact in their lives:

"Express Pay is awesome! Such a help at the holidays ... the immediate gratification of getting paid driving the same day keeps me switching Lyft on."
- Scott, Orange County driver since September '15

Lyft is the first and only ridesharing platform to offer instant payouts for drivers, giving them the same flexibility over how they access their earnings as they have over their schedules.

Hertz: Cars On-Demand

You don’t need to own a car to be a Lyft driver. Our pilot program with Hertz enables people to flexibly drive on the Lyft platform regardless of their car ownership status. In the last two months, our Hertz pilot program has enabled people to give thousands of rides and earn more than $150,000 with Lyft. Currently in Las Vegas since September and Denver since November, we’ll expand our Hertz partnership to more cities in 2016.

We’re excited to celebrate our strongest year yet with our drivers and are dedicated to continuing to deliver trailblazing programs like Shell, Express Pay, and Hertz. There’s much more in store for Lyft in 2016, and we pledge to continue to be the company that treats you better as we change the face of transportation.

Meet the New Lyft App, Now Easier Than Ever

Great rides go beyond pickup and drop-off. That’s why we redesigned our app to make it easier — starting from the second you open the app.

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This update launches today for iOS, with Android coming soon.
Here’s what’s new:

SIMPLIFIED RIDE REQUESTS

Access all our ride options with a single tap and compare their ETAs side-by-side.

EASY ACCESS TO ESSENTIALS

See price estimate, contact drivers, and split fares from the same place.

FRESH NEW DESIGN

This refresh introduces new colors and icons to our visual library, plus a glowing loading screen.

SEAMLESS AIRPORT TRAVEL

You’ll be able to specify your airport terminal and door, making pickups seamless and stress-free.

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Throughout this project, we tested designs every week and collaborated with our community to get feedback on what they liked, what could be improved, and what they wanted from our app. We hope you like it.

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Update to the latest version of Lyft for iOS to check it out, and let us know what you think!

Lyft Announces East Coast Operations Lead

Today we’re thrilled to announce that Evan Cohen, former COO at Foursquare, has joined Lyft as Director of East Coast Operations.

Evan brings more than 20 years of experience in business strategy and operations to Lyft. Based out of our New York City office, Evan will manage a team of General Managers in our east coast cities. He’ll help to scale the business, source top talent, and seamlessly connect our local offices to headquarters in San Francisco.

As COO and the 6th full-time employee at Foursquare, Evan led corporate development, business development, marketing, operations, finance, and oversaw the company's growth to 175 employees and over 50m users. Prior to Foursquare, Evan was based out of London as the SVP of Strategy and Operations for Bebo. He holds an MBA from INSEAD and a Bachelor’s Degree from Harvard University.

Evan joins us at an important time for Lyft. In addition to a recently opened engineering center in Seattle and a customer support hub in Nashville, we have built local operations teams in more than 20 cities nationwide including Los Angeles, New York, Washington, D.C., Boston, Austin, Las Vegas, and Chicago. This increased local presence, with support from leaders like Evan, will allow us to continue to gain market share and grow quickly.

“Without humanity and personality, technology feels stale and coldly utilitarian. Lyft brings something playful and delightful to the experience of on demand ride sharing, which is why they’ve had such strong momentum. The market for consumer transportation services is colossal and incredibly dynamic, and I'm honored to be a part of it with Lyft." - Evan Cohen

In 2015 alone, we’ve welcomed leaders from top global companies such as Apple, Google, Amazon, Facebook, Nike, Intuit, and Twitter. Our growing executive team has catapulted Lyft to more than 600 employees nationwide, and as we close out the year, we’re showing no signs of slowing down. We’re proud to have Evan on our team to take us even further in 2016.

More Ways to Pay: Lyft Now Includes Android Pay

Android fans, this one’s for you. Today we’re proud to announce that Lyft is one of the first apps to integrate with Android Pay. Now, riders have even more options when it comes to how they ride and pay.

We’re always looking for new ways to take our ride experience to the next level, and that includes bringing the best of new tech to your fingertips. Our integration with Android Pay adds another payment option that’s simple, secure, and convenient.

Score $10 Credit* When You Add Android Pay

To celebrate, we’re dropping $10 ride credits into the accounts of anyone who adds Android Pay as their payment method. First, update your app to the latest version and open the ‘Payment’ section of the Lyft app to enable Android Pay. If you don't have Android Pay, remember to download and set up Android Pay first.

Happy riding!

* Credit is redeemable for up to $10 in ride credit to be used on the Lyft platform for the first 10,000 new users to redeem and the first 5,000 existing users. Credit is not redeemable for cash. Credit must be redeemed within sixty (60) days from the date of redemption. Credit can only be used once. All tips and any charges exceeding the Credit value will be applied to your personal payment method. Use of Credit is subject to Lyft’s Terms of Service.

Lyft is Your Jam

Listen up live music fans, this little ditty is for you. Lyft has partnered with AEG Live to make getting to and from music events easy in 6 major markets.

So the next time you’re getting ready to rock out at one of the venues below, be sure to enter its respective code for $10 off your first two rides.

BROOKLYN

PlayStation Theater: code PLAYSTATION

LOS ANGELES

The Shrine: code THESHRINE

Fonda: code FONDA

El Rey: code ELREY

Roxy: code ROXY

SAN FRANCISCO

The Warfield: code WARFIELD

The Regency Ballroom: code REGENCY

DENVER

1st Bank Center: code 1STBANK

Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre: code FIDDLERS

Bluebird Theater: code BLUEBIRD

Ogden Theatre: code OGDEN

Gothic Theatre: code GOTHIC

DALLAS/FORT WORTH

Verizon Theatre at Grand Prairie: code VZTHEATRE

LAS VEGAS

Colosseum at Caesar’s Palace: code COLOSSEUM

The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino: code THE JOINT

Lyft Line Comes to Chi-Town

Share the news and share the ride, Chicago. Lyft Line is now live in the Windy City — and it’s brought crazy low prices with it. With rides costing up to 30% less than original Lyft, getting around town has never been more affordable.

With Lyft Line, you carpool with others traveling the same way for a lower price. It’s the same tap-and-go ride, except you save money at the same time. (Perfect for multitaskers.)

So whether you’re grabbing drinks in Lincoln Park, heading home to the South Side, or just need a faster way to get from the Loop to your office, count on Line for the most affordable ride in town.

 

Request

Slide into Line mode and request a ride.

Get Matched

Carpool and split the cost.

Go

Hop in and meet your fellow riders.

Even if you don’t match with another rider, the price stays fixed and will always be less than original Lyft.

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Launch Special: Downtown Discounts

We turned downtown into a giant discount zone where Lyft Lines cost up to 30% less than original Lyft for a limited time. Just make sure your Line ride starts and ends within the zone.

Check it out and let us know what you think!

Express Pay: Instant Cash for Lyft Drivers

Money doesn’t grow on trees. But starting today, it’s delivered at the tap of a button. Express Pay is the Lyft-exclusive feature that allows drivers to cash out whenever they want, instantly.

We asked Justine, a real Oakland Lyft driver, to try out Express Pay. Watch the video to see how she uses the new feature.

How It Works

 

Working Together with Stripe

We built this new feature with our friends at Stripe. We’re their first customer to unveil the tool, and the first and only ridesharing company to deliver instant payouts.

The Power’s in Your Hands

As a Lyft driver, you are your own boss. Express Pay brings the same flexibility and control that drivers have in the car to their bottom line, because that’s what we’re all about.

This feature is now live nationwide, exclusively to Lyft drivers. Not a driver yet? Here’s how to apply.

*Depending on drivers’ banking institutions; most drivers will receive instant deposits, some banks won’t allow funds to appear until next day; transaction fees apply.

Lyft Announces Global Partnership Expansion with GrabTaxi and Ola

Our commitment to transform the future of our cities doesn’t stop with the US. Today, we’re announcing new international partners GrabTaxi and Ola, expanding the global ridesharing agreement we first introduced with Didi Kuaidi earlier this year. In addition to China, we’ve now extended Lyft’s footprint to Southeast Asia and India, covering nearly 50 percent of the world’s population.

When we think about international expansion, we think about our community, and ensuring every passenger has access to safe, convenient, and reliable rides everywhere they travel. By establishing strategic partnerships with local market leaders Didi, GrabTaxi and Ola, we’re able to remove many of the pain points and language barriers that often come with foreign travel.

Travelers simply open their Lyft app like they would at home, request a car, and input their destination. This will all be seamless to the passenger and driver. Starting early next year, just open the Lyft app and ride.

We’re thrilled to partner with Didi, GrabTaxi and Ola to make more progress toward our mission of reconnecting people and communities through better transportation.

Lyft Drivers Give Back: The Spirit of Giving Tuesday

Every day at Lyft HQ, we hear countless stories of drivers and passengers helping each other. Whether it’s a small gesture, like uplifting someone or surprising them with a cup of coffee, or a big one, like photographing a proposal, rescuing a kitten, saving a passenger from a rattlesnake, or going on a late-night journey to find lost keys, one thing is clear: the spirit of giving is what the Lyft community is all about.

This Giving Tuesday, we’re highlighting just a few of the many ways drivers across the nation are giving back to their local communities.

 

Austin AIDS Walk / Austin Drivers

This fall, Austin drivers banded together in an entirely self-led initiative to raise money for the annual Austin AIDS Walk, which supports AIDS Services of Austin. Aside from collecting donations, many of these drivers also donated 50% of their tips toward the cause. With this incredible effort they raised nearly $4,000 for awareness and support for those living with HIV/AIDS. See pictures and photos from the event and donate here.

 

Hashtag Lunchbag / Nationwide Drivers

Lyft drivers in New York City, Chicago, Phoenix, and everywhere in between are delivering food to the homeless through Hashtag Lunchbag. Together, they delivered over 5,000 meals over Thanksgiving weekend alone. Join an event or donate to Hashtag Lunchbag.

Drivers deliver bagged lunches in Phoenix.

NYC drivers join other Hashtag Lunchbag volunteers for a day of service.

Cheyenne River Youth Project / Chicago, San Francisco, Providence Drivers

This December, Lyft drivers from Chicago, San Francisco, and Providence are headed to the rural Lakota Sioux reservation — the fourth-poorest county in the nation — to help wrap and deliver toys for local children in need. Bonus: San Francisco driver Carlos will be making a guest appearance as Santa! Donate to the cause or join a trip.

 

Project Open Hand / San Francisco Drivers

Started by Lyft driver Keith in 2011, Project Open Hand provides nutritious meals for elderly and critically ill individuals in the Bay area. In the past two years, Lyft drivers have led dozens of events through Project Open Hand, and many have become regular volunteers that return on a weekly basis. San Franciscans can sign up to volunteer here, and anyone can donate online here.

San Francisco drivers help cook at Project Open Hand.

Order up! Drivers take the afternoon to assemble meals for those in need.

Lyftsgiving Food Project / Los Angeles Drivers

For the second year in a row, a group of L.A. drivers cooked, packaged, and delivered Thanksgiving meals to the homeless. These drivers (and their kids!) came together to deliver over 200 meals to those in need. Another L.A. driver, Kara, set up a hot meal station in her local park on Thanksgiving morning, where she, her friends, and other Lyft drivers spent the day cooking and serving food.

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We’re so proud of our community, and we know this is only the tip of the iceberg. To all those making a difference across the nation, thank you.

Are you doing something to give back this holiday season? Let us know by tweeting us @lyft!