Giving up your car is generally always considered a money-saver, but for one month in Denver, it's going to be a money-maker — sort of.
RTD, Lyft and Zipcar have partnered up for give 50 people $751 in credit toward their services if they pledge to stay out of their vehicles from Oct. 8 to Nov. 6. The Ditch Your Car program is a national effort by Lyft and its partners to get people out of their personal vehicles and into alternative modes of transportation.
“The way that people move around cities is changing faster than ever, and we’re excited to challenge Denver residents to change their habits and give up their car for a month,” Gabe Cohen, Rockies region general manager for Lyft, said in a press release. “Lyft alone is not the solution to overcome transportation hurdles, but by partnering with RTD and Zipcar, we’re able to create a full menu of mobility options for Denver residents.”
The transportation credits have to be used somewhat specifically. It's $300 in Lyft shared credit, $150 in Lyft scooter credit, a one-month regional RTD pass ($171 value) and a one-month Zipcar membership with free activation and a $100 drive credit ($130 value). And yes, I checked, participants will be on the honor system when it comes to not driving.
Lyft is offering Ditch Your Car in 36 U.S. cities and Toronto, and Denver's reward has the highest value. (Los Angeles is allowing 100 people to participate, but having their total comes to less than Denver's total.) In Austin, for example, they're offering the $300 Lyft credit, one month of Zipcar, a one-month Metro pass and a one-month B-Cycle pass for a total value of $555 per person. In New York, they're offering the $300 Lyft credit, one month of Zipcar and a 30-day Citi Bike membership for a total of $445.
To get a piece of the program, you need to sign up at ditchwithlyft.com/Denver. The 50 participants will be randomly selected from there and they'll get an email with more information.
And one more thing: Can I get $751 for having never owned a car? A free bus pass? Nah?
