Lyft app gets bike lanes to encourage safer cycling

Lyft is adding protected bike lanes and bike-friendly routes to its app to encourage more people to use two-wheeled transportation. The Verge reports that the protected bike lanes will appear as dark green lines in the app while bike-friendly routes that are less protected will be represented as dotted green lines. The feature is available for Lyft bikes and scooter-sharing services on iOS devices, with Android to follow soon. Lyft’s head of micromobility policy, Caroline Samponaro, says: “Each ride
September 26, 2019 Read time: 2 mins

8789 Lyft is adding protected bike lanes and bike-friendly routes to its app to encourage more people to use two-wheeled transportation.  

The Verge reports that the protected bike lanes will appear as dark green lines in the app while bike-friendly routes that are less protected will be represented as dotted green lines.

The feature is available for Lyft bikes and scooter-sharing services on iOS devices, with 1812 Android to follow soon.

Lyft’s head of micromobility policy, Caroline Samponaro, says: “Each ride on a bike or scooter represents a win for the environment, congestion and a more liveable city.”

Separately, Lyft is working with the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association (BCBSA) to help ensure US passengers do not miss healthcare appointments due to lack of reliable transportation.

BCBSA is a federation of independent and locally operated health insurance companies in which both parties originally developed separately. Blue Cross covered hospital services while Blue Shield handled physician services.

BCBSA chief medical officer Dr Trent Haywood says many Americans live in areas where medical care is beyond the reach of walking, biking or public transportation.

“As a result, they struggle to access critical health care services, even when they have health insurance,” he continues. “We are committed to addressing issues like transportation that are inextricably linked to health outcomes yet can’t be tackled through health care resources alone.”

BCBS combined a study on the health experiences of its members with local data on issues such as transportation, nutrition and the environment to focus on the community factors that have the most impact on individual health.

Over the next few months, BCBS will incorporate Lyft services into a free service for select Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies which remain unnamed.

UTC

Related Content

  • February 27, 2018
    UK government invests £7m to boost cycle safety
    The UK government will invest £7m ($5m) in cycling projects to improve road safety and create more bike-friendly areas that encourage more people to cycle as part of everyday journeys. It is part of the Department of Transport’s (DoT’s) cycle safety review, which aims to ensure that the country’s roads are as safe as possible for everyone using them. Eight cities, which have already received help from the government to promote cycling, will be able to bid for an additional £6.5m ($4.6m) of funding to
    Read More
  • April 12, 2019
    Lyft pledges $50m a year to US transport initiatives
    Lyft is to invest at least $50 million of profits to local transportation initiatives in the US as part of a commitment called Lyft City Works. Starting in Los Angeles, Lyft – which has just begun life on the stock market - says it will support local groups by providing transportation, developing transportation infrastructure and creating clean energy. The company is partnering with mayor Eric Garcetti’s A Bridge Home programme which seeks to tackle homelessness. Lyft will provide transportation to
    Read More
  • October 22, 2018
    MaaS transit does Dallas
    What started five years ago as a mobile ticketing app is evolving towards a full MaaS offering for the US city of Dallas, Texas. Colin Sowman finds out why and how. When it was launched in September 2013, GoPass was the first multimodal, multi-agency transit fare payment app in the US. Introduced by the Dallas Area Rapid Transit (Dart), GoPass combines a mobile ticketing app with a trip planning function and it is also accepted by Trinity Railway Express, Trinity Metro and the Denton County Transportation
    Read More
  • March 4, 2019
    TISPOL says gig economy tears up enforcement rulebook
    The road safety enforcement sector is facing a crisis. Rulebooks around the world are going to have to change as our roads become a high-pressure workplace for millions of gig economy workers. Geoff Hadwick reports from the TISPOL conference Traffic police forces everywhere will need a fresh approach to regulating the way in which our highways are being used, senior enforcement officers were told at the latest TISPOL European Traffic Police Network annual conference. The World Health Organisation puts it
    Read More

Highlighted Content