Lyft is teaming up with non-profit organizations across the nation to provide 1.5 million donated and discounted rides to help boost “upward mobility” in under-resourced Black communities, company officials announced last week. 

To help carry out the task, it has formed an alliance with 11 national organizations including the U.S. Black Â鶹´«Ă˝Ół»­ of Commerce, National Black Â鶹´«Ă˝Ół»­ of Commerce, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, National Urban League, and My Brother’s Keeper Alliance.

Called the LyftUp Access Alliance, it is being initiated to help Black residents affected by COVID-19 get to job interviews, grocery stores, medical visits, and other appointments, said John Zimmer, president and co-founder of Lyft, in announcing the initiative last week. 

Affordable, reliable transportation is one of the biggest drivers of social and economic mobility, he said. 

“Transportation costs are the second largest expense for most American households, taking down on average 20 cents of every dollar of income and as much as 55 cents for every dollar earned by the poorest households,” Zimmer said. “In large metro areas, Black Americans typically have longer commutes, and Black households in America are more than three times as likely to not own a car.”

Pandemic heightens needs in Black communities 

Valerie Jarrett, a Lyft board member and former senior adviser to President Obama, said affordable transportation is more important than ever as Black communities struggle with higher rates of unemployment and illness during the pandemic.

“From COVID testing and food delivery to mental health and job readiness, the LyftUp Access Alliance will support access to the essential services Black individuals and Black communities need to survive and thrive in the wake of COVID,” Jarrett said.

Anthony Foxx, chief policy officer at Lyft and former U.S. transportation secretary, and 

Valerie Jarrett, a Lyft board member and former senior adviser to President Obama, said affordable transportation is more important than ever as Black communities struggle with higher rates of unemployment and illness during the pandemic.

“From COVID testing and food delivery to mental health and job readiness, the LyftUp Access Alliance will support access to the essential services Black individuals and Black communities need to survive and thrive in the wake of COVID,” Jarrett said.

Anthony Foxx, chief policy officer at Lyft and former U.S. transportation secretary, and Marc Morial, the president and CEO of the National Urban League and former mayor of New Orleans, also spoke during the announcement about the need to reach out to communities of color right now.   

Founding organizations

Lyft has teamed up with 11 national organizations to aid disadvantaged communities of color with transportation and other services through LyftUp Community . 

The founder organizations are:

• NAACP
• NAACP Legal Defense Fund
• National Black Â鶹´«Ă˝Ół»­ of Commerce 
• The National Action Network
• The National Urban League
• United Negro College Fund
• U.S. Black Â鶹´«Ă˝Ół»­ of Commerce
• Black Women’s Roundtable
• Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
• My Brother’s Keeper Alliance, an Obama Foundation initiative
• National Bail Fund Network

Local non profits may can apply for ride credits 

The Alliance plans to offer access to more than 1.5 million cars, bikes, and scooter rides to help Black communities reach essential services and resources during the pandemic.  

Local non profit and community organizations interested in applying for ride credits to provide transportation access in their communities can do so at: .

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Transportation network and ride-hailing app developer Lyft opened its first fully-integrated Driver Center in Phoenix with a ribbon-cutting ceremony Tuesday.

The new 20,000-square-foot Driver Center is meant to save drivers time by creating an ultra-efficient vehicle maintenance and service station that offers all necessary vehicle services in one convenient location, at or below market prices.

“Drivers have been telling us for a long time that maintaining their vehicle and getting repairs and services is a considerable expense for them,” said Neha Ajmera, senior director of fleet services for Lyft in San Francisco.

Repairs and routine maintenance can sometimes comprise 50 percent of a driver’s operating costs, she said.

“Generally, 60 percent of drivers say that they distrust their repair shops and are dissatisfied with their service,” Ajmera said. “The other thing is — it’s kind of slow.”

Lyft’s new Driver Center is focused on completing services more quickly in order to get drivers back on the road sooner.

“Our services are quite cutting-edge in that we try to minimize the time that the vehicle actually spends in our shop,” said Drena Kusari, regional director for Lyft’s southwest region. “It’s kind of like a race car pit stop mechanism in that we have multiple mechanics working on the car at the same time. This gets the car in and out of the shop as quickly as possible in an effort to optimize the time that the driver actually has access to the vehicle and therefore are able to earn on the road.”

Kusari said Phoenix is one of the largest markets in the country and continues to grow rapidly, making it a good location for a center.

The Driver Center offers a complete experience, with free refreshments and Wifi and plenty of Lyft team members present to answer drivers’ questions, she said.

“In Phoenix, aside from the Driver Center, we also have three Express Drive locations connecting Lyft drivers to rental vehicles with standard maintenance and insurance coverage,” Kusari said.

Another new service Lyft is offering is called Lyft Direct — a bank account and debit card that are tied directly to the driver’s Lyft account, making their earnings available instantly.

“Let’s say a driver gives a ride, they earn $15 — they can access that money instantly, which is fantastic,” Kusari said. “At the same time, the card enables them to get money or cash back.”

Aurelia Barbour, who drives for Lyft, said the new center would prove beneficial in a lot of ways.

“I’ve gone to so many places to get my vehicle fixed, and I was wondering if they were up-selling me,” she said. “Now, I feel comfortable bringing it here, because they know that I need to get back out on the road, so it’s going to be done quickly, and I can afford it.”

Barbour, who has five children, said a normal mechanic’s shop has a number of ways for kids to get hurt or break something, but the new Driver Center has space for kids to sit or play safely.

Glenn Hamer, president and CEO of the Arizona Â鶹´«Ă˝Ół»­ of Commerce and Industry, congratulated Lyft at the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

“The Arizona Â鶹´«Ă˝Ół»­ has been proud to advocate on behalf of the ride-sharing industry, alongside our great Gov. Doug Ducey, who since taking office in 2015 has made great strides in creating a welcoming environment for next-generation technology in Arizona,” Hamer said. “We’ve seen first-hand the significant impact Lyft has had in our communities, both in Arizona and across the country.”

According to Hamer, Lyft has made communities safer by reducing the number of impaired drivers on the road, reducing traffic and greenhouse emissions and making transportation more accessible to all communities.

The work that all of you are doing isn’t just important for Lyft — isn’t just important for Lyft employees and the company — but it’s important for the broader community,” he said.

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Lyft, developer of the popular mobile ride-hailing app, recently announced its Jobs Access Program initiative that aims to close short-term transportation gaps related to employment access and job training to more than 35 cities in the United States.

The Jobs Access Program will offer free rides to and from training programs and job interviews, as well as (upon employment) rides to and from the job for the first three weeks, until the individual receives their first paycheck.

Lyft is partnering with Dress for Success-Phoenix and St. Joseph the Worker to bring the program to life in the Phoenix area.

“St. Joseph the Worker, a Phoenix-based nonprofit, is proud to partner with Lyft to assist the underserved members of our community in getting to interviews,” said Katie Thorson, director of development for St. Joseph the Worker. “Transportation is one of the top-two biggest barriers to getting to an interview or a job on time.

“With the support of Lyft and its reliable transportation across our large Valley, we’re allowing job seekers and newly employed clients to have one less thing to worry about on their journey to self-sufficiency,” she said.

Lyft that 45 percent of Lyft rides in the greater Phoenix area start or end in low-income areas, compared to 44 percent of its rides nationally.

According to a recent study from The Quarterly Journal of Economics, commuting time is one of the single strongest factors in the odds of escaping poverty.

The Jobs Access Program will focus on providing benefits to those who need it most, such as veterans or individuals with disabilities.

“We know that, for the unemployed, reliable transportation to a job interview or to the first few weeks of work can make a world of difference,” said Drena Kusari, regional director for Lyft’s Southwest region. “We’re proud to work with Dress for Success-Phoenix and St. Joseph the Worker to work toward a future where Valley residents can successfully make their way through the employment pipeline.”

Lyft’s national partners include:

Photos courtesy of Lyft.

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