Lyft's New and Improved Shared Rides

Things are finally starting to return to normal in this post Covid world! Case in point, Lyft is returning their shared rides program to more cities this month. Shared rides, where riders can share rides with other passengers going in the same direction for a discount, will be making a return to San Francisco, San Jose, Denver, Las Vegas and Atlanta in the next week.

Not only are shared rides coming back but Lyft has also stated that they took the time off to “fine-tune” their shared ride experience. “We’ve fine-tuned shared rides to make them more efficient and reliable for both riders and drivers. We’ve kept all the parts our community loved – saving money and making friends – and ditched the parts they didn’t. For riders, this means a more affordable, reliable ride option. For drivers, this means shared rides are completely optional through 2022 without penalty.”

Here is what to expect if you plan to take a “new” shared ride through the Lyft app.

• Each ride request is limited to one person. This means that riders will not be able to book a shared ride for two people at this time.
• A co-rider may be dropped off first if their destination is on the way.
• Riders should respect co-riders’ and drivers’ choices about masking up. Masks are optional and up to each rider’s preference.
• If your driver is comfortable with it, you may sit in the front seat now.
• As with all Uber and Lyft rides right now, there is a fuel surcharge in effect. Each rider will currently pay a $0.55 fuel surcharge on every ride.

One new aspect of Lyft’s shared rides is that Riders can now request a shared ride ahead of time and the further in advance a rider books, the more discounted the ride! Lyft’s shared rides are also currently available in Philadelphia and Miami with additional shared markets returning throughout 2022.