Rideshare services provide ground transportation on short notice via a mobile application or business portal.

Lyft Rideshare for University of Colorado

Lyft is now a contracted rideshare partner of the University of Colorado providing ground transportation solutions for a variety of department needs. Schools and departments can now work with Lyft to set up transportation programs that meet program-specific transportation needs at the department’s expense. Examples of how departments may utilize Lyft for official university business transportation needs are:

  • Campus visitor transportation
  • Event transportation
  •  Business travel direct billing
  • Patient or healthcare transportation to support research/studies
  • Student on- and off-campus mobility enhancement programs

Program Options

Lyft Pass: An automated way to move your people (learn more)

  • Fully or partially cover the cost of rides for eligible riders with a custom Lyft Pass program – either Recurring or One-Time
    • Recurring Pass - Automated solution for recurring rides
      • Allows you to assign a monthly dollar amount to program participants they can use toward Lyft rides each month
      • Customizable: you can restrict rides by date, time and location and customize the value to maintain control over your program budget while ensuring rides are used as intended
      • Departments provide a list of eligible riders for the Lyft Pass, eligibility determined by your university email address
    • One-Time Pass – For one-off events or non-recurring rides
      • Departments can issue a paid Lyft Pass for one-off event transportation needs and for rides for non-recurring programs
      • Can be restricted by date, time, location, max redemptions and value
      • Event codes can be set up directly in the Lyft Events Portal
  • Share Lyft Pass with riders via text, email, or Lyft promo code
  • Potential use cases: Shuttle augmentation, late night event transportation, approved student transportation, campus visitor ground transportation, research program participant rides

 Concierge: Web-based portal for booking trips on a rider’s behalf (learn more) 

  • Enables department staff to request and facilitate rides for people who don't have a Lyft account
  • Provides a user-friendly booking interface compatible with any internet-enabled device
  • Potential use cases: Emergency ride home dispatch, rides to/from campus health centers, research program participant ground transportation, approved student transportation, class/group excursion/travel, dispatch rides for on-campus visitors

Business Profiles: Allows faculty and staff to link to the CU account

  • Hassle-free expensing for rides taken during business travel (integrates with Concur Expense)
  • A simple way for faculty and staff to separate business-related rides from personal Lyft rides
  • Potential use cases: Faculty and staff business travel; streamlines traditional expensing process

To get started with Lyft Pass or Concierge, please reach out to the Lyft team at edu-ride-programs@lyft.com.

To get started with a Lyft Business profile, please follow the instructions found in this Lyft Business Profile support article.

Lyft FAQs

How do I sign up for an account or get more information?

For additional information or to set up a Lyft program, please reach out to the Lyft team at edu-ride-programs@lyft.com

How are these rides billed?

Rides are billed by Lyft via monthly invoice, and you can pay via PO in CU Marketplace or by setting up your account to pay for non-employee transportation expenses on a Procurement Card (if under $5k). For non-employee and employee ground-transportation expenses, a Travel Card can also be used up to $5k as well. Your department is responsible for covering the cost of your Lyft programs.

How much does it cost to create a Lyft program?

It is free to set up a department program, and you are only billed for the actual cost of rides taken. If no rides take place, even if extended through a Pass or by Concierge, then you are not charged. There are no minimum fees or upfront payments. You can view the Lyft rate card for your city at this website.

Do we get discounts on Lyft or free rides?

No, you will not receive free rides or discounted rates when you create a Lyft program. You can view the Lyft rate card for your city at this website. The program is designed to provide flexibility in coordinating ground transportation for official university business needs.

How do I create a Lyft Business Profile with automatic receipt forwarding in Concur?

You’ll need to first create a self-managed Lyft Business Profile in order to enable automatic receipt forwarding to SAP Concur Expense. Once you’ve set up your Business Profile:

  • Open the Lyft app, then tap the menu in the top left
  • Select 'View profile'
  • Select 'Business profiles'
  • Select 'Receipt forwarding' to select your provider
  • Select 'SAP concur' from the list of available expense integrations
  • You'll be redirected to the login page for SAP Concur Expense. Enter in your login email address and password for SAP Concur Expense
  • Select 'I Agree' on the Terms & Conditions

Can I use a Lyft Pass or Concierge-arranged ride in place of business milage reimbursement?

When traveling to work sites other than the primary work location, the university reimburses actual mileage, less the employee’s normal daily commute. Ground transportation, including Lyft Pass/Concierge, are not allowed in place of business mileage when an employee is not in travel status. Please refer to the Ground Transportation policy in the PSC Procedural Statement for Travel.

Tips For Riding Smart with Lyft

  • Verify your ride by making sure the license plate number, driver information, and car make and model match what you see in the app.
  • Share your location and route with a friend or loved one from within the Lyft app so they can follow your ride in real-time.
  • Follow the Lyft vehicle on GPS via the app.
  • Ask the driver to say who they are picking up.
  • Learn more about how to ride smart with Lyft.