Austin Drivers Urged To 'Ditch Your Car'

AUSTIN, TEXAS — Austin drivers are being urged to 'Ditch Your Car' for 30 days as part of an effort among ride-sharing firms, with hundreds of dollars of transportation credit as an inducement, officials said Wednesday.

"Ridesharing has already changed the way Americans depend on owning a car and how we get around cities but now it’s time to take an even bolder step toward creating a new future of mobility," Lyft officials said in a prepared statement. That bold step is the "Ditch Your Car" initiative in Austin offering $550 of transportation credit to give up their cars for 30 days in favor of getting around town via shared Lyft rides, Zipcar, Austin B-cycle and Capital Metro.

Starting on Wednesday Sept. 26, 50 of Austin’s residents will be able to register at http://ditchwithlyft.com/Austin for the opportunity to receive credit towards Lyft, Zipcar, Austin B-cycle and Capital Metro for the month, officials said.

“The way that people move around cities is changing faster than ever, and we are excited to challenge Austin residents to change their everyday habits and give up their car for a month,” said Aaron Fox, General Manager for Lyft Austin. “Lyft alone is not the overall solution to overcome transportation hurdles, but by partnering with Capital Metro, Zipcar and Austin B-cycle we are able to create a full menu of mobility options for Austin residents.”

Added Forrest Neilson, Zipcar regional general manager in Austin: “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. We’re excited to join Lyft in this fun 30 challenge that’ll encourage even more Austinites to go car-free. At Zipcar, we’re big fans of any effort to make it easier to live without a personal car.”

Randy Clarke, president and CEO of CapMetro, noted the ease with which residents are now able to avail themselves of alternative transportation modes, requiring only a change of mindset: “As Austin continues to grow, so do the city’s transportation needs. One of the biggest challenges is changing transit habits and making it easier for people to use a variety of options. Opportunities to introduce multimodal transportation solutions that complement each other — like Ditch Your Car — are an important way to enhance regional mobility.”

Elliot McFadden, Executive Director, B-cycle, suggested he was buoyed at the uptick in ride-sharing activity he's seen: “We recently hit 1 million trips in Austin, and we know this growth is only the beginning. Bikeshare continues to be an ever-growing piece of the transit puzzle, and the Ditch Your Car program offers Austin an exciting glimpse into a more efficient, collaborative transportation model of the future.”

Lyft’s 2018 Economic Impact Report found that in Austin, 52% of respondents use their car less because of Lyft, 13% use Lyft to connect with public transit, and 27% use Lyft to get around when public transit does not operate, officials noted.

Here’s how it works:

• Sign up here. The first 50 eligible people signed up will be chosen.
• Once chosen for the challenge, you’ll receive an email with the details of the program — including transportation credits!
• Transportation credits include Lyft Shared, ZipCar, Capital Metro and Austin B-cycle to get around the city for one month.

1. Lyft Shared Ride credit (valued at $300)
2. Capital Metro pass for one month (valued at $96.25)
3. B-cycle one month pass (valued at $26)
4. Zipcar one month membership & application (valued at $32) + $100 drive credit

• The challenge starts Oct. 8 and ends Nov. 6

"Since day one, we’ve believed cities should be built around people, not cars or parking lots," Lyft officials wrote in a press advisory. "Using a mix of multimodal options, it’s possible to rework cities and ditch personal cars. Lyft is committed to being a part of the solution to reduce congestion, carbon footprint and the pain points of personal car ownership in Austin."

Get Patch's Daily Newsletters and Real Time Alerts

>>> Image via Shutterstock