Lyft app to be updated with 'one tap to ride' feature, more practical pickup and drop-off points, and more

Lyft published a blog post today entitled "Lyft's New App Creates Positive Change for Passengers and Cities." That title's a bit sensationalist, but there are some new features mentioned here that are pretty interesting. Those include a new 'one tap to ride' function, better pickup and drop-off points, and more.

First up, Lyft will be moving its Line (shared) rides under a larger umbrella called Lyft Shared rides. The post doesn't make it clear how Shared rides will differ from Line rides, but it states that it wants to make Shared rides amount to 50% of all Lyft trips by 2020, and that the new version of the app is already seeing a 5% increase in Shared rides. I guess that sounds good, but some clarification on the difference between Line and Shared rides would be nice.

This new version of the app will also integrate with public transit. Lyft now has partnerships with more than 25 transit systems in cities/counties in the US, with the first two being the Transportation Authority of Marin County, CA, and Big Blue Bus in Santa Monica, CA.

Also included are a 'one tap to ride' feature and better pickup locations. The former will allow you to quickly request frequently-ridden destinations/ride types, and the latter puts less strain on congestion by having pickup and drop-off spots in less-trafficked areas, like side streets. Lyft tested this earlier this year with Valencia St in San Francisco, CA, where over 20,000 pickups were diverted to side streets.

The update's rollout has already begun (Lyft says it's now "live for millions"), though it'll take until the end of next month to be fully deployed.

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