Burlington Lyft Subsidy Paid For 500 Rides In 2020

BURLINGTON, MA — Burlington's pilot Lyft subsidy program paid $4,005 for 500 rides in 2020, Council on Aging Director Margery McDonald told the Selectmen recently.

The program, which pays up to $10 for eligible residents who book rides through Lyft and GoGo Technologies, began in Feb. 2020 with 35 rides. It paid for 70 rides in March before dropping off to just 4 rides the next month.

The program picked back up in the fall, with 67, 89 and 149 rides subsidized in Oct., Nov. and Dec.

"I'm really excited," McDonald said. "But there's a lot of room for improvement."

The "Burlington Community Transportation Pilot Program" was approved by town meeting voters in 2019 to replace the B-Line bus service. GoGo Technologies is a concierge service for people to book rides without a smartphone.

Residents who are over 60, have a disability or have income below 300 percent of the poverty line can participate in the program. Riders are responsible for the first $1 cost, then the town pays the next $10.

The program has over $200,000 in its account from the town operating budget, state funds and subsidies, McDonald said. She doesn't expect it to cost more than $2 or 3 thousand per month.

McDonald said she is planning to do more outreach for the program, including potentially a naming contest now that it's "time to move past" the pilot label.

The full meeting is available here from BCAT. More information on the Lyft subsidy program is here.

Christopher Huffaker can be reached at 412-265-8353 or chris.huffaker@patch.com.