Many of us have lived without a car. For some it was that stint between turning 16 and saving up enough to afford one. For others, it has been a choice to ditch their gas-chugging auto to save money and/or the environment.
These days, it's easier than ever to leave your car keys at home, thanks to ride-hailing services, expanded bus routes, e-scooters and dockless bikes.
And now ride-hailing giant Lyft is partnering with Zipcar, Austin B-cycle and Capital Metro to challenge 50 Austin residents to go 30 days without their car -- Oct. 8 to Nov. 6. Instead of fueling up, they'll get $550 in transportation credits -- $300 for Lyft, $96 for a one-month Cap Metro pass, $26 for B-cycles and a one month membership to Zipcar and $100 worth of credit.
The 30-day challenge is coming to Austin and 35 other cities this fall after being piloted in Chicago with 100 riders last month. Other cities include San Antonio, Houston, Dallas, Minneapolis, Atlanta, Charlotte, Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Richmond, Boston, Denver, Houston, Tampa, Miami and San Diego. The amount of credit varies city-to-city.
In Austin, the partnership provides a variety of access that would presumably get you just about anywhere. But, as is the case in many cities, the number of rides or car share rentals you might need to get to a nearby bus stop or off the beaten path location could cut down on the allure.
However, that may be the point Lyft is trying to make: They want people to give life without a car a try. Of course, that's advantageous to a ride-hailing business. But it also fits with Lyft's mission to make cities more people-oriented and cater less to vehicular traffic and parking, while also trimming our carbon output.
“Every day, more and more people ditch their personal cars in Austin and instead use a range of mobility options to get around from car sharing to ride hailing,” Forrest Neilson, Zipcar's regional general manager for Austin, said in a news release.
A Lyft report this year found that the company is helping 52 percent of those surveyed use their cars less. Meanwhile, 13 percent use Lyft to get to a bus stop.
