Lyft: Friend or Foe of RTD?

The Regional Transportation District (RTD) and ride-sharing service Lyft are teaming up in a collaboration that will continue to transform urban mobility.

Denver will be one of seven cities across the country to feature the new “Nearby Transit” feature within the Lyft app. This new feature will show riders all nearby public transit routes and schedules, according to a release from RTD.

Why? The statistics are in favor of riders who prefer to utilize the combination of car-sharing services and public transportation as a substitute to taking to the roads themselves. As stated in the 2019 Lyft Economic Impact Report, 35 percent of riders nationwide do not own or lease a personal vehicle. Of the remaining 65 percent, nearly half use their cars less due to access to affordable and more environmentally friendly options.

In Denver specifically, the report discovered that if the two can link efforts, the demographic could continue to grow significantly and fill major gaps that RTD simply cannot. Nearly a quarter of riders use Lyft to get around where public transportation does not operate, such as from their home or workplace to a light rail station or bus stop.

Lyft said the new feature is part of their commitment to a future where car ownership is optional, and through building a collaborative relationship with cities and neighborhoods, these services have the potential for a tremendous positive impact on personal mobility, pollution, congestion, energy consumption, and thereby quality of life.