Lyft reports $37M economic impact in Baltimore in 2018

Lyft reported that rides through the service helped add $37 million to the Baltimore economy in 2018.

The economic impact figure for last year is up $12 million from what the company reported in 2017, and about triple that of 2016’s mark.

Lyft entered Baltimore in 2013, and opened up a local office in 2016 after seeing growth. The San Francisco–based company introduced new initiatives to join with local businesses in 2018, including partnerships with breweries, wineries and distilleries, and a new move to provide rides to Fort Meade. The company also put forward a challenge to Ditch Your Car.

Beyond Baltimore, the company made moves to enter additional areas of transportation last year, acquiring bikeshare operator Motivate and rolling out scooters in several cities. The scooter service is not available in Baltimore at this time.

“Every day, people are using Lyft in Baltimore as a way to connect with their community, support local businesses, and commute more efficiently. This is having a dramatic and real impact on our city by enabling riders to move around seamlessly and drivers to earn on their own time,” Steve Taylor, Lyft’s regional general manager, said in a statement. “As Lyft works to better knit together North American cities, including through bikes and scooters, we hope to continue to find new ways to invest in the local Baltimore economy.”

The ridesharing company’s report also detailed the following stats on its riders in Baltimore:

• • 43 percent of users don’t own or lease a personal vehicle, while 50 percent said they used a car less and 40 percent used the service for healthcare access.
  • The value of savings from time and travel costs $79.5 million
  • Late-night rides are less than 8 percent of overall rides, while airport trips account for a 37 percent share.See the report