Lyft rolled out an expanded app Tuesday in the Twin Cities that allows users to get step-by-step directions to their destinations using public transportation, scooters, shared bikes, walking, and of course, ridesharing.
The metro area is one of the first markets in the nation to get the tool, said Caroline Samponaro, head of Transit and Micromobility Policy for San Francisco-based Lyft. The ridesharing giant operates the Nice Ride bikes and has scooters deployed in Minneapolis.
Users of the app can compare the cost and the time it will take to reach a destination by checking real-time transit schedules on more than 180 bus and train routes operated by Metro Transit, Maple Grove Transit, SouthWest Transit, Plymouth Metrolink and University of Minnesota campus shuttles.
Lyft hopes to incorporate Minnesota Valley Transit Authority schedules in the coming months, said spokeswoman May Xiong.
The app also will allow users to check locations of bikes and scooters, filling in gaps that transit does not reach, Samponaro said.
"It's one-stop shopping," she said. "It makes for an easier connection to transit and easier to find what option is best for you."
Lyft also is debuting the app in Boston, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington, D.C.
Tim Harlow • 612-673-7768
