Lyft Forms Alliance With Black Organization To Close Transportation Gaps

The popular ridesharing app Lyft announced it is forming an alliance with several Black organizations to help those with a lack of transportation.

According to a Lyft blog post released Tuesday, it will team up with My Brother’s Keeper Alliance, an Obama Foundation initiative, and the National Urban League and others for the Lyftup Access Alliance. The alliance will work to eliminate transportation as a barrier in under-resourced Black communities.

The Alliance will provide access to more than 1.5 million cars, bikes, and scooter rides to help Black communities reach essential services and resources that will help meet and defeat the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic. As part of that effort, all LyftUp Community Grants for the rest of the year will go toward organizations directly supporting communities of color.

“The current health crisis has disproportionately impacted communities of color; it’s also given us a clear look at the systemic barriers that stand in the way of social and economic empowerment for Black communities specifically,” said Anthony Foxx, Lyft chief policy officer and former Obama transportation secretary. “While Lyft’s social impact work has always aimed to provide access in underserved communities, the need for a focus on Black communities cannot be overstated.

“The LyftUp Access Alliance is critical in supporting these communities by solving problems, not simply overcoming them for the moment. We are grateful for the shared commitment with our partners and excited for the continued work we’ll do as part of the Alliance.”

Although these organizations were providing services to Black Americans before the coronavirus pandemic hit the U.S., their services are needed more with millions of Black Americans and people of color unemployed. Essential workers also need help as they’re forced to take public transportation every day and putting themselves at risk.

In April, Lyft announced it would be offering complimentary rides to the grocery store, pharmacy, and medical centers for members of the NAACP, National Action Network, National Urban League, and Black Women’s Roundtable. Free ride credits will also be granted to members who commute to their jobs and workers on the frontline of the crisis.

Other organizations in the alliance include the Black Women’s Roundtable, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, The National Action Network, the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, the United Negro College Fund, the National Bail Fund Network, the NAACP and the US Black Chamber of Commerce.