The University has scaled back the Lyft Ride Smart Program for the 2023–24 academic year, according to an email sent to Chicago-based students by Michele Rasmussen, dean of students in the University, and Eric M. Heath, associate vice president of safety and security, on September 20.
The Lyft Ride Smart Program will now offer students seven rides subsidized up to $10 per ride every month. The program previously offered students 10 rides subsidized up to $15 per ride every month during the 2022–23 academic year.
In a statement to The Maroon after Rasmussen and Heath’s email, University spokesperson Gerald McSwiggan encouraged students to take the UGo NightRide Shuttle when circumstances allow.
“The Lyft Ride Smart program provides a safe transportation option for students during evening and late-night hours as a complement to the UGo NightRide Shuttle,” McSwiggan wrote in the statement. “The current program parameters—seven free rides per month (up to $10 off per ride) are based on usage analysis while balancing environmental impact and cost. We encourage students to use UGo shuttles, which offer extensive coverage of nearby neighborhoods, when circumstances allow.”
The NightRide Shuttle runs four primary routes from 4 p.m. to 4 a.m. every 15 to 30 minutes. They operate as far north as 48th Street, as far west as Cottage Grove Avenue, as far south as 63rd Street, and as far east as Hyde Park Boulevard. However, the Lyft Ride Smart’s service area exceeds that of the NightRide Shuttle’s and includes the Red and Green Line Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) stations on Garfield Boulevard, an area not covered by University shuttle services after 9 p.m.
The Lyft Ride Smart program was first scaled back for the months of July and August. According to an email sent by Rasmussen and Heath on June 8 to all students, the University was “assessing ways to refine Lyft Ride Smart for the new academic year to efficiently meet the needs of students, focusing on times when fewer other transportation options are available.”
Students can sign up for the Lyft Ride Smart program through a personalized email invitation sent by the University. Students who joined the program last year do not need to re-enroll.
