Technology  August 18, 2016

Lyft enters Northern Colorado market

FORT COLLINS — Uber finally has some competition in Larimer and Weld counties.

Lyft, the other major on-demand transportation service, launched in Northern Colorado at noon on Thursday. As with Uber, travelers can get to their destination by downloading an app to their smartphones, creating an account and adding a credit or debit card, and then summoning a car driven by an independent contractor to their GPS-designated location. No cash is exchanged, and the charge is assessed at the end of the ride. Riders and drivers then get the chance to rate each other, from one to five stars. Unlike Uber, the Lyft app allows riders to tip drivers.

“Fort Collins was a natural next step as we expand our footprint in Colorado,” a Lyft spokeswoman told BizWest, “and we’re excited to build the Lyft community there.”

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Lyft’s new Northern Colorado coverage area includes Fort Collins, Loveland, Wellington, Windsor, Greeley and Evans, as denoted by a map box on its website.  Lyft can carry passengers to points outside its designated coverage areas such as Berthoud or Longmont, but can’t pick them up there, a Lyft spokeswoman said. Berthoud and Longmont are between and outside Lyft’s Northern Colorado and metropolitan Denver coverage areas.

More regular Uber service recently has become available in Longmont. Uber began service in Northern Colorado in August 2014.

Most Uber and Lyft drivers choose their own hours and drive to supplement their income from other jobs. According to a Lyft spokeswoman, the founding group of Lyft drivers in Northern Colorado includes an emergency medical technician, a teacher, an undergraduate student, a manager of Colorado State University dining services, and a massage therapist. Drivers get a portion of ride fees paid by passengers, and their pay is deposited automatically into their bank accounts each week.

Drivers must be at least 21 years old, drive vehicles with four external door handles and at least five total seat belts. and own an iPhone or Android phone. They must undergo national and county background checks as well as Department of Motor Vehicles checks.

To celebrate the launch, new passengers will be able to use the code “LYFTINFNL” to receive $5 off their first Lyft ride within the Northern Colorado coverage area.

A full coverage map and estimated ride costs are available online.

FORT COLLINS — Uber finally has some competition in Larimer and Weld counties.

Lyft, the other major on-demand transportation service, launched in Northern Colorado at noon on Thursday. As with Uber, travelers can get to their destination by downloading an app to their smartphones, creating an account and adding a credit or debit card, and then summoning a car driven by an independent contractor to their GPS-designated location. No cash is exchanged, and the charge is assessed at the end of the ride. Riders and drivers then get the chance to rate each other, from one to five stars. Unlike Uber,…

Dallas Heltzell
With BizWest since 2012 and in Colorado since 1979, Dallas worked at the Longmont Times-Call, Colorado Springs Gazette, Denver Post and Public News Service. A Missouri native and Mizzou School of Journalism grad, Dallas started as a sports writer and outdoor columnist at the St. Charles (Mo.) Banner-News, then went to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch before fleeing the heat and humidity for the Rockies. He especially loves covering our mountain communities.
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