UT Austin - Lyft

lyft and ut austin. Department Transportation Solutions

Lyft for Departments

Overview

Lyft is the official rideshare partner for UT Austin. This partnership enables schools and departments to work with Lyft to set up transportation programs that support the needs of your department or school.

Examples of how departments can utilize Lyft for official business:

  • Commute solutions
  • Business travel direct billing and Auto-Payment expensing
  • Campus visitor transportation
  • Patient or healthcare transportation to support research
  • Student campus and off-campus mobility enhancement programs
  • Event transportation

For additional information or to enroll your department in a Lyft program, email edu-ride-programs@lyft.com.

Program Options

Lyft Pass

  • Recurring Pass - An automated solution for rides that recur regularly. 
    • Allows you to assign a monthly dollar amount to program participants that they can use towards Lyft rides each month.
    • Customizable: you can restrict the rides by date, time, and location and customize the value so you can maintain control over your program budget and ensure rides are used as intended.
    • Departments provide a list of eligible riders who will receive Lyft Pass ride credits
    • Eligibility verified by your UT Austin email address
    • Potential use cases: faculty/staff commute option, late night rides for students, recurring volunteer transportation, shuttle augmentation
  • One-Time Pass - For one-off events or non-recurring rides.
    • Departments can create a Lyft Pass for one-off events and non-recurring programs.
    • Can be restricted by date, time, location, max redemptions, and value 
    • To set up your own event code, you can also go to the Lyft Events Portal
    • Potential use cases: Semester-long transportation benefit, University break airport travel, class field trip transportation, Greek Life recruitment events

Auto Pay

Allows faculty and staff to directly bill rides to a corporate account

  • Hassle-free expensing (integrates with Concur, Expensify) 
  • A simple way for faculty and staff to separate business related rides from personal rides
  • Potential use cases: direct billing for faculty/staff business travel or commute

Concierge

Web-based portal for booking trips on a rider’s behalf

  • Enables you to request rides for people who don't have the Lyft app
  • The Concierge platform offers a user-friendly booking interface that is compatible with any internet-enabled device.
  • Potential use cases: research program participant travel, emergency ride home dispatch, rides for students to/from healthcare facilities

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I sign up for an account or get more information? 

To get additional information on account setup or Lyft product information, please email edu-ride-programs@lyft.com.

How are these rides billed? 

Rides are billed by Lyft via monthly invoice, and you can pay via ACH, check, or card.

Do we get discounts on Lyft or free rides? 

No, you will not receive free rides or discounted rates when you create a Lyft program.

Lyft’s Health Safety Program

In response to COVID-19, Lyft launched a Health Safety Program, which includes:

  • Personal health certification for drivers and riders
  • Health safety education for drivers and riders
  • Distribution of cleaning supplies for drivers

You can read more about the program on the Lyft website.

Tips For Riding Smart with Lyft

  • Verify your ride by making sure the license plate number, driver information, and car make and model match what you see in the app.
  • Share your location and route with a friend or loved one from within the Lyft app so they can follow your ride in real time.
  • Follow the Lyft vehicle on GPS via the app.
  • Ask the driver to say who they are picking up.
  • Learn more about how to ride smart with Lyft.

How to Get Started 

For additional information or to enroll your department in a Lyft Program, please email edu-ride-programs@lyft.com. The PTS-Lyft Program team will reach out to discuss your transportation needs, provide training and program management resources, and work with you to set up your program.