Lyft will offer ridesharing at Fort Meade

Lyft’s latest local partnership requires extra clearance. The company will start offering a ridesharing option at Fort Meade in June.
The move opens up another transportation option to a hub for jobs in Maryland. The Army installation in Anne Arundel County is one of the state’s largest employer sites, as home to the National Security Agency and U.S. Cyber Command. Overall, 40,000 people work at Fort Meade and 12,000 people live at the 8.1. square mile site.
There are typically fewer transportation options at military sites, as heightened security brings more regulation. Lyft is currently recruiting drivers who will be certified to drive at Fort Meade, which includes a vetting process and requires credentials.
Lyft expanded statewide in Maryland last year. Baltimore Market Manager Mike Heslin has said the company is looking to build partnerships locally, and has since teamed with Baltimore’s transportation department and McHenry Row on designated pickup and dropoff zones.
Lyft has eyed military initiatives nationwide,  and is also rolling out a pilot at Camp Pendleton in Southern California this week called “Base Mode.”
“This new service will help Fort Meade’s service members, civilians and their family members by providing another safe, reliable, door-to-door transportation option on Fort Meade and in the surrounding community,” Lt. Col. Allan Floyd, Fort Meade’s Deputy Garrison Commander for Transformation, said in a statement.
While we’re covering ridesharing services in the Maryland suburbs, UberEATS also announced a recent expansion in the area around the base. The service last week said it added 95 restaurants in Anne Arundel County and Howard County.