6 Reasons to Make Lyft Your Campus Shuttle This Semester

It might be time to stop begging your parents for a car on campus. Between parking fees and tickets that add up faster than you think, it gets expensive fast. Plus, you'll miss out on walks and bike rides where you'll run into friends.

DOWNLOAD TO GET A FREE RIDE

But sometimes you just have to get off campus, and walking or riding your bike won't always work. That's when you can skip the campus shuttle and rely on a Lyft ride to get you where you need to go.

Here are six reasons to request a Lyft ride while you're in college.

1. Late-Night Rides

Whether you're at a party with friends or in the library putting the finishing touches on your paper, it can get late - fast. And walking anywhere alone at night can be unsettling, especially with a backpack full of prized belongings. (That thesis is just as valuable as the laptop where it's saved.) Instead, request a Lyft ride at the end of a long day. It's a reliable way to get home safely after a late-night study session or a night of drinking.

2. Rides to the Game

You love your school's athletic teams, but wish the stadium wasn't so far away. And even if you have a car to drive to the game, parking can be a nightmare. Waiting around for the campus shuttle just won't do, either.

Request a Lyft ride to pick up your crew, and then have your driver drop you off at the game. Who knows, you may even turn your Lyft driver into a fan on the ride there!

3. Off-Campus Grocery Shopping

Saving money by opting out of campus dining is possible, even without a car. Request a Lyft ride to shop and run errands around town. You'll be thankful to haul your groceries in a car rather than carrying them home. Here's a pro-tip: Head to a grocery store that's in a big shopping center. That way, you can walk to other stores - say, the pharmacy or cute boutique - that are close by to make the most of each trip. You can also use the Lyft app to split the price with your roommate when you head out together.

4. Weekend-Warrior Activities

Sometimes you just want to take a break from school and find cool places off campus. Head to the park or the beach, or simply find something fun to do in a nearby city - and let Lyft take you there. When you're done exploring, request a Lyft ride to take you back to campus.

5. Airport Rides

Come holiday time, everyone will be scrambling to finish finals and land a ride to the airport. Skip sweet talking friends with cars or paying for an expensive taxi, and request a Lyft ride to take you to the airport.

6. Rainy Days

So long drenched backpacks, jeans, and rain boots. When it's pouring outside and you need to get to class, request a Lyft ride to scoop you up and get you around campus - because, unfortunately, rain isn't an excuse to skip your lecture.

Need a ride around or off campus? Skip the campus shuttle and request a Lyft ride instead.

TPAC's Focus On Education

The nonprofit organization Tennessee Performing Arts Center provides a year-round lineup of incredible theatrical performances. This year they're producing Broadway-acclaimed hits like Evita and RENT. These performances are an inspiration for the arts community in Nashville and TPAC has been fundamental in these opportunities.

For over 30 years, TPAC has helped provide over 1.8 million students and educators with curriculum-based arts education programs in Nashville. These programs are available for children and adults and through TPAC Education's five programs: ArtSmart, Disney Musicals in Schools, Humanities Outreach in Tennessee, TPAC InsideOut, and Wolf Trap Early Learning through the Arts. Children and educators have opportunities like seeing performances and receiving specially trained teaching artists in their classrooms.

By promoting the value of theater education into schools, TPAC fosters a love of the arts in future generations and makes a lasting impact on the quality of their lives and our community.

This month, if you ride with Lyft using the code TPAC16 we will donate the cost of the ride to their programs!

For more news and all things Lyft in Music City follow @lyftnashville on Twitter.

National Dog Day

We love our dogs so much here at Lyft that we can't even bear to leave them at home. Employees are encouraged to bring their pups to work, so these dogs become staples of the office and a part of our Lyft fam. We even have an Instagram account to show off how darn cute they are. To celebrate National Dog Day (yes, it's a thing!), we want to introduce a few of our fluffy Lyft friends. 

"It's me, Steven! I travel, code and love food."

“I'm not a doctor, but I have a white coat" - Mochi

"I'm Pixel the Maltipoo. I like long hikes, Chinese food, and face licking."

"Put your ears in the air like you just don't care!" - Roux

"#2BLESSED2BSTRESSED" - Oreo

And here's a dog in a backpack, just for good measure. 

Las Vegas: Your Back-to-School Survival Guide

Next week we're back to school! To make sure you start your year off right, we've gathered the top tips you need to know for a picture-perfect beginning to your school year in Vegas.

GO SEE
End your summer with a bang. Rally your friends and catch Macklemore and Ryan Lewis under the stars at the beautiful Boulevard Pool at The Cosmopolitan Resort and Casino on September 4th. 

GO PREP
We get it. You're going back to school and will be buried in books, so the last thing you want to do is surround yourself with them, but Rebel Books across from UNLV is a great place to pick up school books for your academic year at a quality price. If you want to avoid the line, order your books online and enjoy a free in-store pickup. When you're getting your books, come stop by our booth and say hi!

GO PLAY
Need to unwind from the stress of school away from the chaos of the city?  Check out PKWY Tavern in Spring Valley. It's a local sports bar with a huge variety of beers to chose from and games to play, including corn hole, beer pong, darts, billiards, giant Jenga and Connect Four. They even have a miniature bowling alley. From now until September 2nd, students can get 25% off your total bill with a valid student ID (you must be 21 or over, of course).

BE IN-THE-KNOW
Not sure where to live while going to school? Resiratings has several sweet spots as close as a few blocks from campus as well as further away if you want a little distance. Check out their website for ratings of apartments and condos.

GET YOUR CAFFEINE FIX
Makers and Finders coffee shop is a hipster-bohemian gem downtown off of Main Street in the Arts District. Take a study break or have a meeting while enjoying a nice brunch. The La Paisa arepa, lavender-infused latte, and espresso flan are must-haves!

We'll be at all of these campus hotspots throughout August and September, so come say hi, grab some swag, and get free Lyft credit! Follow us on Twitter to catch all the back-to-school action.

Expensing Rides Just Got Easier

Thousands of business travelers have used business profiles to keep their ride receipts and payment methods organized since we introduced profiles in April. If you're one of those business travelers, our latest update is cause for celebration - all the way to your next cross-town client dinner.

You can now view your business ride history and create custom expense reports. Update your Lyft app to try it out.

Create a Custom Expense Report

Go to Your Ride History
Open the main menu in the app and tap 'Ride History'.

Select Business Rides
Tap the 'Business' tab and then 'Export' to select rides for your expense report.

Send Your Report
Your expense report will be sent to your work inbox.

Move Rides to Your Business Ride History

If you forget to use your business profile for a business ride, don't stress! You can move the ride receipt to your business ride history anytime. Just open the ride receipt in your ride history, and tap to change 'Personal' to 'Business'. This will recategorize the ride, but it won't change the payment method used for it.

Don't have a business profile yet?

CREATE YOUR PROFILE

If your team is interested in adding ridesharing to their business travel program, check out Lyft Mobility Solutions. We'll be introducing a new dashboard with more ridesharing insights this fall, so travel managers can make data-driven ground transportation decisions.

Lyft at School x Honor Smartphones

Students today are busier than ever. There's no time to waste in between juggling classes, study sessions, work, friends, parties, and more.

Need help getting it all done? We can get you where you're going faster with our partnership with Honor, a leading smartphone e-brand under Huawei group. As part of our work together, the Lyft app will come pre-installed on the new Honor 8 phone. Thanks to the Honor 8's smart new SmartKey technology, you'll be able to call a Lyft ride to your early morning econ class or Friday night drinks with a quick double-tap.

We'll also be visiting you IRL at campuses nationwide through September, introducing you to the Honor 8 and Lyft in person. Find us on campus to create your own animated GIF and unlock a chance to win a Honor 8 smartphone, selfie sticks, or Best Buy gift cards!

Our campus tour will hit schools in the following cities:

• Boston

• San Francisco

• Portland

• NYC

• Washington, D.C.

• Nashville

• Los Angeles

Take Me Out to - and Home From - the Ball Game

Watching baseball on TV is a good time, but nothing tops seeing the game from the stands. Driving to and parking at a baseball game, however, can be a real hassle. Instead of taking your car, get a Lyft ride to the game.

DOWNLOAD TO GET A FREE RIDE!

Easy Come, Easy Go

Forget about paying for parking and walking a long way to the stadium. Your Lyft ride can drop you off near the entrance. And while your fellow fans leave the stadium early to beat the parking lot traffic, feel free to stick around well past the seventh-inning stretch.

All for One and One for All

If you're headed to the game with a crew, you don't need to take multiple cars. Request a Lyft Plus and you'll arrive together. That means less time searching for your friends in the sea of people wearing baseball hats, and more time enjoying the sights and sounds.

Make It Home

What goes perfectly with baseball? Hot dogs, peanuts, and beer. Lots of beer. With Lyft, there's no need to drive after you've indulged in a few. Your team may not cross home plate, but your Lyft ride will get you home safely.

Get Local Recs

If you're from out of town, you might wonder where to go before the game or what to do when it ends. Your Lyft driver can offer local places to grab something to eat or maybe even stick around to watch the game with you.

There's no crying in baseball, but there can be a few tears when parking at the stadium. Instead, request a Lyft ride to and from the game.