CHICAGO — Lyft is now giving rush hour commuters the ability to schedule their Lyft Shuttle rides seven days in advance.
Lyft Shuttle was unveiled in March as a rush-hour carpooling option in which drivers pick-up and drop-off passengers at certain intersections along a fixed route. The rides usually cost about $3 to $4 each and are only available 6:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. and 4 to 8 p.m.
Now that riders can schedule rides in advance, as opposed to just minutes before, riders can settle into a routine, Lyft said.
"It’s the perfect ride option for anyone who’s ever struggled to think straight before their first cup of coffee," the company said.
"Shuttle is one of the many ways we’re working to reduce the number of empty seats on the street, so we can free up road capacity, and make it easier for everyone to get around our cities.
The new scheduling option allows riders to schedule between 15 minutes to 7 days before a needed ride. The app would notify riders eight minutes before their scheduled Shuttle arrives.
Earlier this year, Lyft said "rider and driver interest for Shuttle in Chicago is growing" and the service has had steady week-over-week growth. The service had started with three routes and expanding to six. The routes connect Downtown with Uptown, Wicker Park and Brighton Park.
While these initial Lyft routes were designed to cover high-demand areas, the rideshare company said it plans "to extend these low-cost rides to areas where affordable transit options are limited."
Here's an updated map of the routes that are currently running:
There are six morning rush hour routes for Lyft Shuttle [Lyft]
