Rider, Lyft Team Up For Free, Safe Rides For Students

LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ — Walking alone on a college campus late at night can be an intimidating prospect, but Rider University and Lyft have announced a partnership to alleviate some of that intimidation.

As of Thursday night, Sept. 6, all Rider students are able to use the Lyft app to request a ride through the weekend for free, the ride-sharing service announced. Rides will be available Thursdays through Sundays, 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.

This initiative is part of Rider’s Safe Rides program, a collaboration with the university’s Department of Public Safety, to aid students returning to campus safely. It is also part of Lyft’s “Ride Smart” program, aimed to prevent both distracted and impaired driving.

Students interested in participating in the program must create a Lyft account with their Rider email address and call Public Safety to receive a promo code when they want to use the service, which once added to the Lyft account will apply a $20 ride credit.

“We are proud to partner with Rider University to offer the student body access to a crucial mode of late-night transportation. Through this partnership we are not only offering the convenience of using Lyft, but helping to ensure that students can get around with ease and increase the opportunity for drivers in the area to earn additional income,” said Ann Ferracane, General Manager for Lyft in New Jersey and New York.

“We are excited to partner with Lyft for our Safe Rides program,” Rider University Vice President for Facilities and University Operations Michael F. Reca said. “This unique partnership illustrates our commitment to providing reliable and convenient options for student transportation when they might be in an unsafe situation.”

“The safety and well-being of our students is paramount to our mission,” Rider University Vice President of Student Affairs Leanna Fenneberg said, “Partnering with Lyft to implement our Safe Rides program makes sense using technology that is familiar to our students. We look forward to putting this program into operation.”

To access information and download the Lyft App, visit www.lyft.com. To learn more about Rider’s Safe Rides program, visit www.rider.edu/saferides.

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