Lyft offering free rides to the unemployed around Pittsburgh through February

Lyft will offer free rides for unemployed Pittsburghers to and from job interviews, job training programs and the first two weeks of a new job, company officials announced on Tuesday.

Lyft’s Jobs Access Program aims to close short-term transportation gaps for unemployed people who need rides to jobs and job training, said Josh Huber, the company’s general manager for Pennsylvania.

Under the initiative, people participating in programs offered by Partner4Work, the public workforce development office for Pittsburgh and Allegheny County, can qualify for free rides through the end of February. Lyft will offer a total of 200 free rides during that period, according to Earl Buford, Partner4Work’s CEO.

Buford said lack of transportation is a major reason that people quit jobs or stop looking for work.

“There are three major issues that we confront at Partner4Work: lack of skills training, lack of education and transportation issues,” he said. “This partnership is the first step toward eradicating that transportation issue.”

Angela Bowie, public policy manager for Lyft in Pennsylvania, noted that 13% of Allegheny County residents live below the poverty level. She said 44% of Lyft rides nationally and 56% of rides in Pittsburgh start or end in low-income neighborhoods.

“Studies have shown that commuting time is the single strongest factor in escaping poverty,” she said. “We know that for the unemployed, reliable transportation to a job interview or to the first few weeks of work can make a world of difference.”

Buford said Partner4Work’s goal is to continue the program beyond February by seeking funding from other sources.

Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald said providing rides for work is one of the most important factors in finding and maintaining a job. He lauded Lyft for the program.

“You are providing that first step on that ladder of opportunity by getting people to that interview, to that job,” Fitzgerald said.

The company in May committed $50 million annually to improve cities through transportation infrastructure, donated transportation, and sustainability programs. Its Jobs Access Program aims to help low-income people in more than 35 cities in the United States and Canada.