In the backdrop of a global pandemic, shared micromobility saw record-breaking ridership and demand in 2021, mirroring a global bike boom that has been accelerating since 2020. Lyft was proud to provide our riders with bikeshare and shared scooter service that supported broader city-led efforts to navigate the transportation challenges of COVID-19.
The second annual Lyft Multimodal Report highlights shared micromobility trends across race, gender, and socioeconomic status. The report draws on local operating data and survey responses from thousands of riders who used Lyft-operated shared micromobility systems during 2021.
Lyft is building on a surge in diverse ridership through our first-ever national bikeshare ad campaign, also launching today. Our message to riders is "yes, you are a bike person." Additionally, today Lyft is also announcing the arrival of its next generation ebike which will be joining the Citi Bike fleet in NYC starting May 5. Find Lyft’s Citi Bike ebike announcement here and ad campaign here.
“The data are in and the results are clear: Lyft station based bikeshare helped to fuel the bike boom last year, while providing significant benefits to city governments and residents," said Caroline Samponaro, VP of Transit, Bike and Scooter Policy at Lyft. "Lyft bike and scooter share appeals to a wide demographic of city-dwellers, and it plays an important role in regional transit systems, especially at times when other modes are unavailable."
Micromobility Boom Mirrors Global Bike Boom in 2021
In 2021, over 2.4 million first-time riders across the United States tried Lyft-operated bikes and scooters as a sustainable, affordable, and convenient mode for short trips in cities. Many of Lyft’s systems hit ridership records compared to 2020 ridership levels:
Citi Bike rides in New York and New Jersey up 39%
Divvy rides in Chicago up 57%
Lyft Scooters rides in Denver up 135%
Nice Ride bike and scooter rides in Minneapolis up 60%
In New York and New Jersey, Citi Bike riders took nearly 28 million rides in 2021. To put that in context, that was more than the 2021 ridership of the Bay Area Rapid Transportation (BART) system in the San Francisco Bay Area and close to the 2021 ridership of the Port Authority Trans-Hudson (PATH) train in New York and New Jersey. Citi Bike is the fastest growing transportation network in New York City's history and the largest docked bikeshare system in the world outside of China.
These ridership milestones reflect larger global and industry trends. For example, ebike sales outpaced electric cars in 2021 in the United States–-and ebike sales were even higher in Europe and Asia. Globally, as cities have continued to invest in active transportation infrastructure in response to changing travel behaviors during the pandemic, they’ve also seen results. International bikeshare systems like Santander Cycles in London, Vélib' in Paris, and Bike Share Toronto also broke ridership milestones in 2021.
Micromobility Expands Mobility Access in Underserved Communities
In 2021, a diverse group of riders relied on Lyft-operated shared micromobility services:
55% of riders identify as members of racial and/or ethnic minority groups.
31% of bikeshare stations are in low-income areas.
Rides in low-income areas increased by 65% since 2020, partially due to expansion efforts in the Citi Bike and Divvy systems that brought bikeshare to more communities.
To ensure equitable access to shared micromobility, Lyft works with our city partners to provide low-cost membership options for income-qualifying riders. Compared to other bikeshare members, these riders are:
28% more likely to be women
26% less likely to use a personal vehicle
79% more likely to ride the bus
73% more likely to work a part-time job
75% less likely to have a college degree
Take more than twice as many ebike rides
Micromobility Enhances Local Public Transportation Networks
Findings from the 2022 Lyft Multimodal Report continue to underscore the important relationship between micromobility and public transit. Lyft bikeshare members rely heavily on public transit and more than two-thirds do not own or lease a personal vehicle. In fact, 89% of our riders used shared micromobility as a first or last-mile connection to public transit last year.
Shared micromobility systems also improve the resilience of regional transportation networks. Across the country, we found that 34% of riders have used shared micromobility when public transit is not available. When Hurricane Ida hit New York City and temporarily suspended subway service due to flooded tunnels, Citi Bike hit a new all-time daily ridership record. And in Washington D.C., Lyft and Capital Bikeshare offered free memberships to commuters impacted by the Fall 2021 Metrorail service disruptions.
Looking Ahead
Last year’s progress was promising, but to continue to accelerate our growth at the pace riders want and cities need, we see the following opportunities:
Re-design more streets around people with protected infrastructure to promote more walking and two-wheeled riding.
Leverage the power of micromobility stations to enhance reliability of devices and support effective curb management.
Electrify micromobility stations to improve reliability and availability, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions from field operation vehicles required to swap ebike batteries.
Explore how public funding can continue to enhance and grow micromobility programs.
Lyft looks forward to working with cities to achieve an equitable, sustainable, and shared transportation future.
Check out the full report here.
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements contained in this announcement are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the securities laws, including statements about Lyft’s programs and initiatives and shared micromobility services. Such statements, which are not of historical fact, involve estimates, assumptions, judgments and uncertainties. There are a number of factors that could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those addressed in the forward-looking statements. Such factors are detailed in Lyft’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We do not undertake an obligation to update our forward-looking statements to reflect future events, except as required by applicable law.