If you live in New York City or have plans to visit, get ready to put the pedal to the metal. The Lyft app is adding bikes in New York City for a new way to get around town. Say goodbye to sitting in traffic and watching the taxi meter get higher and higher by the minute. Oh, and no more battling sweaty commuters on the subway this summer. Lyft's new bikeshare service is going to make it so much easier to bike around NYC.
Lyft is best known for its transportation services that allow customers to book a ride with a driver. You might do this after happy hour or when you're headed to meet your friends at a show. Well, now, the ride-share company is gearing up to roll out a new bikeshare service to users. Lyft will be using NYC's Citi Bikes for its new bikeshare rollout with more than 750 stations throughout the Big Apple, according to a blog post from Lyft. Citi Bike has provided New Yorkers with more than 75 million rides and has a fleet of more than 12,000 shared bikes.
The company sees the addition of bikes to its transportation offerings as a way to "increase mobility" and "make cities better places to live," according to Lyft. The company did not provide information as to when the bikes would be available to book via the Lyft app. In the April 15 blog post, Lyft simply stated that the bikes are "starting soon," so keep an eye out for updates.
Here's how it works. The first step is to make sure you have the Lyft app installed on your mobile device. It's available for download on iOS and Android devices. Per Lyft, you don't need an account to access the bikeshare services. However, you can set one up if you really want to (or log into the account you currently have). It's really simple to book your bike once you've got the app on your phone.
In fact, the process sounds very similar to booking a ride with a driver. All it takes is two taps to get linked up with one of those famous blue Citi Bikes, per Lyft. To book a bike, open the Lyft app to view availability for bikes around the city. (Remember, there are more than 750 stations around town.) Upon clicking the "unlock" button in the app, you'll be given a five-digit code to enter at any dock at a particular station, according to Lyft. That's really all there is to it.
Of course, you have to return the borrowed bike back to a nearby station. A green light will appear on the bike dock when you've successfully returned the bike. You should also get a push notification for extra confirmation.
As for costs, this is definitely going to be a more affordable option than shelling out for an actual ride in a car. Renderings from the Lyft app show 30-minute bike rides starting at $3, according to a blog post from the company.
Bikes are definitely a more eco-friendly way to get around town than a car. I love that Lyft seems to be committed to sustainable transportation options. Earlier this year, Lyft launched a new Green Mode option. The ride feature gives commuters the option to book an electric vehicle for an environmentally-friendly ride.
For now, the Lyft's new bikeshare service will only be available in New York City. However, the company did note that it hopes to expand its bikeshare options to other cities in the near future. I can't wait to see where the new service is going to launch next.
