While women make up nearly half of Lyft riders, they account for just 23% of drivers on the Lyft platform, based on a recent survey.*
Introducing Women+ Connect, a new feature that matches women and nonbinary drivers with more women and nonbinary riders. This highly requested feature offers more control over the driving experience for women and nonbinary people, allowing them to feel that much more confident. And with fewer barriers to driving, more women can access flexible earning opportunities — whether they're driving to build a business, support their family, or simply to enjoy earning good money while meeting great people.
Women+ Connect also offers riders more choice. And for both drivers and riders, we’ve been encouraged by how often camaraderie and comfort come up as additional benefits.
We’re building Women+ Connect for people like…
Skye C., a 5 star driver with over 4,000 rides: “I think it would be great to see more of us out here, hustling. It creates camaraderie and unity.”
Maria V., a driver since 2019 with almost 1,000 rides says that when she picks up another woman she feels “a mutual understanding, like ‘girl code.”
Mimi F., a mother who has given 20,000 rides in the past 10 years, and shared that Women+ Connect “gives me an extra added layer of confidence when I want it, so that I can keep driving whenever it works for me."
How it works
Women+ Connect puts women and nonbinary people in the driver's seat — literally — by letting them choose to match with more women and nonbinary riders. The feature offers the option to turn on a preference in the Lyft app to prioritize matches with other nearby women and nonbinary riders. If no women or nonbinary riders are nearby, drivers with the preference on will still be matched with men as Women+ Connect is a preference feature, not a guarantee.
When the feature goes live in a city, women and nonbinary riders will be prompted in their Lyft app to select ‘Count me in,’ which will increase their chances of matching with women and nonbinary drivers. Women and nonbinary drivers will see the same opt in. Anyone can update their preferences or opt out in their settings at any time.
The feature will roll out in select early-access cities in the US: Chicago, Phoenix, San Diego, San Francisco, and San Jose. We’ll be ensuring customers in each city have a great experience as we look to roll out to more cities very soon.
“Women+ Connect is all about providing more women and nonbinary people the opportunity to earn money on their terms and giving riders more choice,” said Lyft CEO David Risher. “We hope this gives millions of drivers and riders another reason to choose Lyft.”
Access to earning opportunities
Many people value the earnings opportunity driving rideshare on the Lyft platform offers — close to $36 per hour**, on average, including tips and bonuses — in addition to the minute-by-minute flexibility, but it can be especially important to women.*** Among women drivers on our platform:
57% say they drive to provide supplemental income to their household.
98% say that app-based work provides them with the freedom and flexibility they need.
And 90% say app-based work allows them to earn money while pursuing something else (such as going to school or starting a business).
“This opens up a new opportunity to make money in those twilight hours where there's income potential. . . It could lead to cool experiences, chats, and camaraderie within this community.” Cametria H., driver since 2018 who has given over 2,000 rides
Built with experts
Women+ Connect was shaped with input from a range of experts. We worked closely with drivers and riders — including women, men, and nonbinary people — to help us understand what would work for them.
“Lyft is rolling out an inclusive product at a time when so many companies are shying away from explicit inclusion of transgender and non-binary people. Women+ Connect was built with intentionality to make rideshare better for women and non-binary riders. When rideshare is better for these folks, it’s better for everyone, and we at HRC stand behind that.” – Jay Brown, Human Rights Campaign
“This is a great feature that can make an important difference in how women use and view rideshare.” – Kym Craven, The National Association of Women Law Enforcement Executives (NAWLEE)
“It’s encouraging to see how Lyft developed the Women+ Connect feature — This new feature will make women feel more comfortable driving.“ – Sheriff (ret) John Whetsel, Chair, National Sheriffs’ Association Traffic Safety Committee.
Committed to Riders and Drivers
We’re constantly working to make Lyft better for riders and drivers. We’re doubling down on riders' preferred modes, like Wait & Save, and making support improvements to help them feel cared for. And earlier this year, we made upgrades to Upfront Pay — which helped increase per ride earnings - average earnings are 10% higher per ride, including tips and bonuses, on the Lyft platform as compared to earlier in the year.**** In the coming months, we’ll launch even more improvements to scheduled rides, airport pickups, and ride filters, and we’re also testing a new beta feature that allows an ADT agent to view a live stream of a driver’s phone cameras when requesting Emergency Help.
Women+ Connect is another step in our work to make rideshare better for, and more accessible to all people. And with more people behind the wheel, we can serve more riders as we aim to create the best possible experience no matter what seat you’re in.
So if you’re thinking about taking your first ride, or considering getting behind the wheel to earn some extra money, this is the moment: download the latest version of the Lyft app and we’ll let you know when Women+ Connect is live in your city. Learn more about Women+ Connect: lyft.com/Women+
**In Q2 2023, the average US driver earnings were roughly $36 per utilized hour including tips and bonuses. Drivers using Lyft earn by the job, not by the hour. The hourly earnings communicated are no guarantee of future performance and not indicative of any specific driver’s earnings, and calculated before taxes, insurance, depreciation, and other costs associated with being a rideshare driver.
***Previously unpublished data collected in the driver survey for the 2023 Economic Impact Report.Average earnings across US & Canada, comparing Jan 2023 vs May 1 - May 21, 2023, including bonuses and tips. Long ride pay includes top 80th percentile rides by distance in each market, comparing average pay per ride Jan 2023 vs May 1 - May 21, 2023. The earnings communicated are no guarantee of future performance and not indicative of any specific driver's earnings, and calculated before taxes, insurance, depreciation, and other costs associated with being a rideshare driver. This calculation includes all online platform time for drivers, including any potential time spent engaged with other app-based services.
****Average earnings across US & Canada, comparing Jan 2023 vs May 1 - May 21, 2023, including bonuses and tips. Long ride pay includes top 80th percentile rides by distance in each market, comparing average pay per ride Jan 2023 vs May 1 - May 21, 2023. The earnings communicated are no guarantee of future performance and not indicative of any specific driver's earnings, and calculated before taxes, insurance, depreciation, and other costs associated with being a rideshare driver. This calculation includes all online platform time for drivers, including any potential time spent engaged with other app-based services.