Earlier this week, Baltimore City, in partnership with Lyft, Inc., launched its “Let’s Ride to Work” Program.
The Program is a partnership between the Mayor’s Office of Employment Development (MOED) and Lyft, Inc. Its main goal is to support newly employed Baltimore City residents by providing free rides to and from work for their first four weeks of employment. This initiative is part of Baltimore City’s COVID-19 employment recovery strategy and is funded by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).
According to the press release:
“We have numerous residents who are looking for meaningful employment, but are held back by limited transit options,” said Mayor Brandon M. Scott. “This program will provide stability to residents by helping them get to and from work during their initial pay period. I want to thank Lyft for helping make this possible.”
Public transportation is very limited in certain parts of Baltimore City, and a well-known barrier for employment as residents struggle with the ability to get to and from work daily. Lack of transportation limits job opportunities for residents. In keeping with its mission of delivering economic justice to Baltimore City residents, MOED is investing $267,000 to fund up to 40 free rides per eligible resident for the first four weeks of employment by which time the resident will have likely received their first paycheck. The rides will be provided by the popular mobility service provider, Lyft. City residents qualified for the “Let’s Ride to Work” Program must be referred by a partner organization, be newly employed working at least 32 hours per week, have transportation needs, and be negatively impacted by COVID-19. With the allocated funding, MOED expects to help over 300 working city residents.
“We are excited to collaborate with the Mayor’s Office of Employment Development to help Baltimore residents get to work,” said Paul Davis, Director of Transit and Government Partnerships at Lyft. “Access to reliable transportation is critical to finding and keeping a job, and this partnership will give residents a flexible on-demand transportation option for their commute to work.”
To get connected to the “Let’s Ride to Work” Transportation Program, Baltimore City residents are encouraged to visit any of MOED’s Career Centers, visit the MOED website, or complete the Job Assistance Request form.
