Lyft & Uber Driver Guides – All Cities

Below are Lyft and Uber driving guides for various cities. We include a few hotspots and traffic tips in each guide, as well as the top driving hours.

If you think something should be in the guide, or that we should do a guide for your town, drop us a line and let us know.

How To Drive Lyft Or Uber In Seattle

April 4, 2018/in Blog, City Driving Guides/by Tim Or

Seattle is one of the largest Uber & Lyft markets in the United States, having both launched in the area over five years ago. Seattle is an ideal town for driving Uber and Lyft. In fact, more than 1,000 people are moving to Seattle weekly, and the city’s natural geography means a lot of people need to get around.

Below are some helpful tips on how to get the most rides, give the best service, and make the most money while you’re online!

Where To Drive Lyft Or Uber In Seattle

If you’re driving Lyft or Uber in Seattle, the busiest demand overall will be found in:

Downtown / Belltown – Pike Place Market, 1st Ave
Capitol Hill – Pike/Pine Corridor
South Lake Union – Amazon campus
Ballard – NW Market St, Ballard Ave NW
Fremont – N 36th St
Queen Anne – Seattle Center / Key Arena, Queen Anne Ave N
University District – University of Washington, University Way NE
Pioneer Square – 1st Ave S

Other notable areas include Greenwood, Green Lake, First Hill, West Seattle, Beacon Hill, and Columbia CIty.

The Eastside (a substantial section of the greater Seattle area that lies east of Lake Washington) also sees consistent demand. However, the lake and the two sole bridges that connect the Eastside to Seattle mean that drivers will usually work one of those regions or the other at a time. Of course, passengers will often seek transport from one side of the lake to the other, meaning good fares for drivers. Some notable neighborhoods on the Eastside include Bellevue (Bellevue Square Mall), Kirkland, Redmond (Microsoft Campus), and Factoria (Factoria Mall).

Safeco And Centurylink

Demand in most of these Seattle-based areas will fluctuate throughout the day. Residential neighborhoods will be busy during rush hour in the mornings and evenings, but bars and restaurants will see increased demand in other areas at night. Because Safeco Field and Centurylink are both located in Pioneer Square, that area is always hot after sports games and other stadium events like concerts.

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Downtown And Capitol Hill

In general, if you are starting in the Downtown or Capitol Hill area, you are guaranteed to score a ride immediately, which may take you 5 to 30 minutes or more, anywhere in the vicinity.

As a rule of thumb, it’s a good idea to always head back toward a busier city center, as residential areas are lower in ride request frequency.

Sea-Tac

Sea-Tac airport is about 15 miles, or 20min, south of the city center. Airport ride requests can start as early as 3-4:00 in the morning, with passengers trying to make their early flights. Airport requests continue thorughout the day, usually falling off after 10pm or so during the week, due to last flights landing for the night. Generally, Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays are the busiest airport days

A good idea to obtain ride requets going to Sea-Tac airport is to wait around business centers during the day – Amazon campus in South Lake Union, Microsoft campus in Redmond, and the many offices in downtown Bellevue see mutliple business people heading to the airport throughout the day.

When To Drive Lyft Or Uber In Seattle

The best times to drive Lyft and Uber in Seattle are:

Weekday mornings between 7am and 9am
Weekday evenings between *3pm* and 6pm (evening rush hour starts early in Seattle)
Weekend evenings (Fri and Sat) from 6pm until 2am
Weekend mornings and afternoons from 8am-11am and 1-5pm

During mornings, residents will be heading from surrounding residential areas into Downtown, South Lake Union, and across the lake to the Eastside to get to work. During the late morning and afternoon, drivers will pick up people running errands, and the lunch crowd. In the evenings, residents will disperse from the business centers back out across the greater Seattle area, then head back out to Belltown and Capitol Hill at night.

In spite of being a large metropolitan area, Seattle is a very close-knit community. Residents will often be on the same wavelength about whatever event, holiday, concert, sports game, etc. is happening on a particular weekend. As such, it’s in drivers’ best interests, here in Seattle even more than in other cities, to research the city’s event calendar thoroughly and work during event times. While in a city like Los Angeles, where there is always something going on every night of the week, Seattle is still a bit more modest with its nightlife offerings. Of course, this means that an event like a Seahawks Game will inevitably bring out much of the city’s population at once.

Lyft vs. Uber In Seattle

While drivers can choose to drive either Lyft or Uber in Seattle, most prefer to drive both to maximize earnings while behind the wheel.

However, keep in mind that Lyft still offers a sign up bonus of several hundred dollars for new drivers. Uber does not offer a comparable sign up bonus. Both companies offer various weekly bonuses based on the number of rides you complete.

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Rideshare Earnings In Seattle

During busy times, drivers can easiliy make $25 – $30+/hr driving people between neighborhoods and to and from events. During other times (and when you’re first starting out), drivers can still expect hourly earnings in the $15 – $20 per hour range.

Acquainting yourself with the city well enough to learn shortcuts, avoid traffic, and make the most of your time, will result in higher earnings.

Traffic

Seattle traffic is an interesting creature. The population increase over the past decade has certainly worsened the problem, but for now it is still fairly limited to predictable times of day. Morning and evening rush hour will put you in stop-and-go (or motionless) traffic on certain major thoroughfares throughout the city, such as 1st Ave, 5th Ave, Denny Way, South Lake Union, and any streets nearby a highway entrance or exit.

However, rush hour tends to end promptly around 6 – 6:30 pm, and traffic dies down considerably after these times, whereas in a larger city (such as LA), congestion might be a round-the-clock occurrence.

Navigation

Using the Waze app for navigation is imperative to staying on top of Seattle’s landscape of unpredictable traffic, and ever-changing street-level construction closures. It’s also a great idea to give your passenger the choice at the outset of the ride to either give you directions, or let you follow Waze. This will effectively relieve you of any blame from your passenger should you run into traffic during your ride.

The Aurora/99 highway is a great alternative to the often congested I-5 (whether you’re headed south to the airport, or the opposite direction toward North Seattle). The Aurora also runs north and south and lies only a mile or so west of the interstate. Take heed however – the Aurora highway is old, and ramps to the highway are often poorly marked and sporadic. So, do your homework and learn your entrances and exits before navigating this tricky highway.

Sea-Tac Lyft And Uber Driver Staging Area

All drivers are allowed to drop passengers off at the airport. However, the for-hire permit (that all Seatle-area drivers are required by the city to hold, and which Uber and Lyft will apply for on your behalf) allows drivers to specifically *pick up* passengers from the airport. Uber and Lyft Drivers queue up at Ground Transportation Staging Lot located at 3069 S. 160th St, Sea-Tac WA 98188.

Qualified Lyft & Uber drivers picking up passengers from the airport should also remember to always display their trade dress, for-hire windshield sticker, and in-cabin for-hire permit when entering the Lyfft/Uber pick-up area.

Final Thoughts: Lyft And Uber In Seattle

Lyft and Uber are almost equally busy in the Seattle area. Drivers who are smart about where and when they drive can earn an average of $20 to $25 or more an hour. That number only increases for drivers who are driving full-time and are taking advantage of Lyft’s weekly “Power Driver” bonus.

Signing up for both apps is best, especially because the application process and documents required for both apps is almost identical. Lyft and Uber both accept each other’s previously completed vehicle inspection forms, as long as the form completed is in the city’s standard “FAS” format.

Uber has more request volume and brand recognition. But Lyft consistently scores better with driver approval, passenger tip frequency, and weekly bonus earning offerings.

Looking For The Best Rideshare Company To Sign Up With?

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How To Drive With Lyft Or Uber in New Orleans

April 2, 2018/in Blog, City Driving Guides/by Daniel Zimmerman

New Orleans is an interesting market when it comes to rideshare driving. We are not a large city. However, we do have large amounts of tourists, convention goers, and other visitors that not only make this a great place to live but a great place to drive in as well.

Navigating the city

One of the most important aspects of driving Lyft or Uber in New Orleans is familiarity with the layout of the city. Knowing how to get around from point A to point B, especially during the busy festivals and other tourist events, is vital for you to be able to give the best customer service. Sometimes what your Uber map tells you is the fastest way to go will be the slowest, or even impassable. Even if you’re using Waze, when driving Lyft or Uber during big events in New Orleans, you sometimes need to rely on instinct. During these times, you will need to use your best judgment and communicate with your customers about why you might be taking a route that seems longer.

One example of this would be during the upcoming French Quarter Festival. There is a lot of foot traffic across Decatur between Jackson Square and the riverfront (where the rest of the the festival will be held). If you had a customer at the casino trying to get around to the French Market the shorter distance route would be up Decatur. However, during French Quarter Fest, the fastest route will likely take you down Poydras (or Canal) to Claiborne (or I-10 E) to Elysian Fields, and then down towards the river.

Other events bring road closures that mapping software may not be able to keep up with as well. Higher tourist events will cause Bourbon Street to be impassable (either because of the dense foot traffic or simply because police will shut down any crossing of Bourbon Street between Canal and St. Ann). Parades will also close down streets making it important for you to contact your riders quickly if the route to them would require you to normally cross the closed street.

Asking a Lyft rider to walk a block to you can be much more convenient than you trying to find a route to that customer. Asking a customer to walk one block from Frenchman St to Elysian Fields, for example, could be the best way to avoid sitting in Frenchman St traffic for ten minutes. It is often a good idea to ask customers who are waiting on Bourbon Street to meet you either at Dauphine or Royal. Driving across those two blocks of the French Quarter can sometimes take more than 20 minutes when it is busy.

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Driving For Lyft In Uber In New Orleans: Avoiding Traffic

The less traffic you sit in, the more rides you will be able to take per hour. Getting your customers where they need to be quickly will keep you a highly rated driver. Most of your customers will appreciate the communication and you helping them get to their destination more quickly. Of course some customers, like persons with disabilities, will be unable to come out to you. In those cases you should obviously drive to them.

Getting on the road quickly and familiarizing yourself with the city before these large events is the best way to make sure you are comfortable with all the ways to navigate around the city and to find the shortcuts that can save you when traffic gets congested. Some roads that can be used for quick shortcuts/detours in the area include (but are not limited to) Earhart, Broad, Washington Avenue, and River Road.

Earhart Blvd

Earhart starts at the end of Calliope (by Claiborne) and goes all the way into Hickory Drive in Jefferson Parish. It is an alternate route to get to the airport when I-10 gets too congested. Once you get out of Orleans Parish, the road opens up to a three lane highway that often is not congested. The best alternative route to the airport is to take I-10 to Airline and then take the left exit to “L and A Road” to get to Earhart.

Broad Street

Broad is a great road for getting uptown from downtown without having to use Claiborne, especially during school zone hours. If you drive on Poydras away from the river, it turns into the on ramp for Broad and will bring you uptown. Broad then forks at the end to Napoleon or Fontainebleau, giving you a quick shortcut to get many places uptown.

Washington Avenue

Taking Washington can bring you quickly from Carrollton to Earhart without having to wait for traffic lights and can be a good way to avoid interstate traffic if you happen to be in the area already. Washington heading away from the city will turn into Palmetto, which is an alternate way to get to Metairie Road without having to use the interstate.

River Road

If you are already uptown and need to get to the airport or some other place in Jefferson Parish, River Road will often be your best route to take. Otherwise you would have to spend time driving in the wrong direction just to get onto the interstate. River Road can bring you all the way to Kenner. Or you can get off at some point and find your way to Earhart as well.

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Where to drive

Different events are held at different parts of the city, which means for specific events you will have to change your tactics accordingly. However, there are a few fairly reliable places to be in order to get a lot of quality rides.

Tulane/Loyola/Uptown

Weekdays in the afternoon will often see a spike in demand all around the uptown area, especially when the schools are in session. Oak Street has a lot of good restaurants and people will often be looking for rides after getting a bite to eat. Thursday through Saturday nights are also times where you can pick up students who are looking to go out.

Central Business District (CBD)

With a lot of hotels in a small area, the CBD is a great area to drive when you are anticipating that conventions are letting out and there might be higher demand for people looking to leave for the airport. You will also have tourists looking for good restaurants, many of which are not within walking distance of their hotels. As such they will need a ride to get to where they are going.

There is also a cluster of museums in the CBD, including The National World War II Musuem, and The Ogden Musuem of Southern Art. Often, visitors to these museums are staying in another part of town. So, catching a rider from one of them can often get you to the French Quarter.

French Quarter/Frenchman Street

drive with Lyft New Orleans French Quarter

Friday and Saturday nights are the biggest nights in the French Quarter during times where festivals are not going on. During larger events you might see high demand every night of the week. Bars stay open late and you may be able to pick up customers through the early morning hours when some of the early morning flight departures are happening.

New Orleans International Airport (MSY)

This is a tourist town and MSY is a place where people will be landing all day long. Sometimes people choose to sit and wait in the queue to try and get a ride into the city. Other times people try and wait in the city to get a ride to the airport and then get a rematch back into the city. Often that decision is a personal one based on what that person’s daily goals are and if those drivers have other things to do while waiting for a ride in the queue. For example, some students choose to study in queue as they wait for a ride. And remember, while your Lyft sticker should be displayed at all times when driving, it is very important that you have your sticker placed properly on your vehicle when entering the transportation center for pickups.

Amenities

New Orleans is a service oriented town. You want to always provide the best service possible and set yourself apart from the crowd. Many times this includes providing cell phone charging and waters. People can always use a charge on their cell phone. Waters are also important because when it is hot you want to keep hydrated. Other items you might want to have on hand include individually wrapped mints, hand sanitizer, and airsick bags. Even if customers do not take you up on your amenities, the
fact that you did offer them will set you above and beyond their expectations.

When to say no

It is sometimes difficult when you have to tell a customer no. However, sometimes your customer will not be aware of the laws or of Lyft policies and it is your responsibility as a driver to follow both. Lyft customer support will be there to help you in these circumstances. If you have to cancel because of any of these reasons and you are in the middle of a streak, make sure to complete the streak and then report the issue to Lyft customer support.

Car Seats

Sometimes tourists who bring children will fail to bring the appropriate child safety restraints. Lyft policy requires that state laws on child restraints be followed.

Open Containers

Louisiana law allows for people to walk around with open containers of alcohol. However, this does not apply to your personal vehicle. When customers want to bring open containers into your vehicle, remind them about the law.

Too Many Passengers

Louisiana law requires you to only have one person per seat belt. People will sometimes want to fit more people in the car than is legally allowed. Remind them that standard Lyft rides can fit no more than 4 passengers. If they have 5-6 customers, they should be requesting a Lyft Plus instead. In most circumstances, parties with 7 or more customers will require two ride requests. You can offer to help a second member of their party to download the Lyft application if they have not already done so. You can even have them use your rider referral code to make additional money on the ride they will be taking with someone else.

Have Fun!

New Orleans is a fun town and as a driver you want to represent that fun loving attitude. It is what most of your passengers will expect. Driving in New Orleans allows you the opportunity to meet a wide variety of people from different parts of the country. The more you share about your city, the more appreciative they will be of you and your service.

Daniel Zimmerman is a top rated driver in the New Orleans area and can be found on Twitter @ridesharedan or at ridesharedan.com

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How To Drive Uber Or Lyft In Los Angeles

November 27, 2017/0 Comments/in Blog, City Driving Guides, Popular/by Dave

The Los Angeles Lyft and Uber Drivers Guide

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Los Angeles is the second largest Uber & Lyft market in the United States. Both companies have been in town for years and have mature and busy operations. The Lyft sign up bonus in Los Angeles is currently $750.

Overall, L.A. is a great town for Uber and Lyft driving. However, because the market is so large geographically, and traffic so horrendous, it helps if you know the ins and outs of the city before you start driving.

Below are some tips on where, when, and how to drive for Uber and Lyft in Los Angeles. Hopefully, these will make navigating the L.A. Uber and Lyft driving experience a bit easier for new and veteran drivers alike.

Where are the best areas to drive Uber or Lyft in Los Angeles?

If you’re driving Lyft or Uber in Los Angeles, the busiest and most lucrative areas overall are:

Santa Monica – Beach, 3rd Street, 26th
Westwood – UCLA and Westwood Village
Beverly Hills – Shopping areas and Sunset Blvd
West Hollywood – Santa Monica Blvd, La Cienega
Hollywood – Franklin Ave, Highland, Melrose area
Downtown – Staples Center, Koreatown
LAX – Usually, don’t bother waiting in the lot after dropping off.

All of the areas above basically follow Wilshire Blvd and Santa Monica Blvd east from the ocean to downtown. More ride requests come from these seven areas (on both platforms) than any other parts of Los Angeles.

In general, if you’re near the hill dividing the valley from West L.A., you’re in a good area for ride requests.

However, there are many other lucrative areas in L.A. County when it comes to driving Lyft and Uber.

More places to find Uber & Lyft riders in Los Angeles

If you get a ride that takes you over to Torrance, for example, you might want to head towards the water. Then, head North towards Manhattan Beach and Hermosa Beach. You may get a request before you get to either, but if not, both areas are pretty busy on both Uber & Lyft.

On the other hand, if you get a ride that takes you to Northridge (San Fernando Valley), you’ll want to head South towards Encino. Then go east, which will take you through Sherman Oaks and Studio City, on the way to Hollywood. Being near the hill helps in the valley as well in the city.

In fact, a good rule of thumb for the San Fernando Valley is the closer you are to the hill, and to the studios, the more likely you’ll get a ride request.

Some other areas that are good Los Angeles Uber or Lyft hotspots include Marina Del Rey, Silverlake, Century City, Culver City, and Echo Park

One thing to keep in mind is that because L.A. is so large, you shouldn’t expect to stay in one area. While West L.A. is the most lucrative area, you will wind up all over Los Angeles. Driving Uber or Lyft in L.A. means you could get a ride going to Laguna Niguel, or Ontario, or even up to Big Bear. You just never know.

So, if you find yourself out in the boonies, you may want to use the destination filter to get you a request going towards West L.A. or Downtown.

Also, not all of the areas listed above are busy all the time. If it’s primarily a residential area (Brentwood, Pacific Palisades, Malibu) it’s likely to only be busy during the morning rush, or on weekends.

When are the best times to drive Lyft or Uber in Los Angeles?

The best times to drive rideshare in L.A. are:

Weekday mornings between 6:30am and 9:30am
Weekday evenings between 4:30pm and 8pm
Weekend evenings (Fri. & Sat.) between 6pm and 8pm, and between 10pm and 3am
Weekend mornings and afternoons between 10am and 2pm

On weekdays, a good early bird strategy is to be close to the hill that divides West L.A. from the San Fernando Valley, by 5am. If you catch an airport run, you can get back to West L.A. in time for the rush. As with most markets, there are more airport runs on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fridays. Alternatively, you may just catch a commuter heading downtown.

During afternoon rush hour, the best places to be are Downtown, Santa Monica, Century City, and Mid-Wilshire. However, much of West L.A. and Hollywood should be busy during this time.

Weekend Uber & Lyft L.A. Hotspots

Of course, weekends are the most lucrative time to drive either Lyft or Uber in Los Angeles. Early in the evening you can catch rides from the San Fernando Valley, South L.A., or Silverlake, going to West L.A. Once in the city, West Hollywood is the most lucrative hotspot.

Later in the evening, expect a fair number of requests around such locations as The Abbey (West Hollywood), No Vacancy (Hollywood), Los Globos (Silverlake), L.A. Live (Downtown), The Bungalow (Santa Monica), and Yard House (Marina).

On weekend mornings, Brentwood, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, West Hollywood, Silverlake, and the North San Fernando Valley are prime spots from about 10am through 2pm.

Lyft vs. Uber in Los Angeles

Both are sufficiently busy in the Los Angeles market. However, Uber is busier in some adjacent areas like the Inland Empire.

If you plan on driving mostly in West L.A. and the valley, you can make comparable money on either Uber or Lyft.

If you’re thinking of signing up to drive in Los Angeles, keep in mind that Lyft still offers a sign up bonus ($400 – $700 recently). Uber only offers guaranteed earnings. Again though, you can probably earn comparable amounts on either Uber or Lyft in Los Angeles.

Lyft and Uber driver pay in Los Angeles

During busy hours, you can make $30 per hour driving Lyft or Uber in Los Angeles. However, it’s more reasonable to expect to make $15-$20 per hour when driving for Lyft or Uber in Los Angeles. As you learn your way around the city, you’ll become more efficient and should be able to earn $20 per hour or more consistently. Also, part time drivers who earn the most tend to drive during the busiest hours only.

Here’s how much a couple of full time drivers made in Los Angeles recently. Keep in mind that both drivers had to work a lot of hours to make this much. However, you can make this much on both Lyft and Uber in Los Angeles, if you’re willing to put in the hours.

Los Angeles traffic – Uber & Lyft routing tips and shortcuts

Los Angeles traffic is a beast. There’s no other way to put it. It’s also gotten worse over the last decade. Here’s a few tips to help make dealing with L.A. traffic a little easier when you’re rideshare driving.

Photo by Accretion Disc

Follow Waze most of the time. Because so many people use Waze in Los Angeles, Waze’s time estimates and directions are usually (but not always) pretty accurate. Ignore it when it tells you to go through an alley, or tells you to get off the highway for one exit and then get back on. Other than that, it tends to work a little better than Google Maps, and far better than Uber’s built in navigation.

When headed downtown, Olympic & Pico are decent substitutes for the 10 if it’s really jammed. Also, you’ll want to learn the alternate street routes to LAX (Sepulveda and Centinela, for example) for the times when the 405 is a parking lot.

Since I mentioned the 405, learn the canyon routes from West L.A. to the valley, and vice versa. You should know how to navigate Beverly Glen, Benedict, Coldwater, and Laurel Canyons. Also, learn the shortcuts off of Mulholland (Calneva, Woodcliff, Roscomare) into the valley and the city.

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If you’re trying to get to Hollywood or the 101 from West Hollywood, consider taking Fountain. Also, if La Cienega is jammed, you can take Crescent Heights part of the way.

If you’ve got other L.A. shortcuts you’d like to share, leave them in a comment below.

Uber & Lyft Airport Dropoffs and Pickups in Los Angeles

If you drop off at LAX, make sure you’ve taken the LAX test.

Also, remember that you’re only allowed to display trade dress from one company at LAX. If you’re doing a Lyft dropoff, take your Uber sticker down, and vice versa.

Yes, the one trade dress display rule at LAX (and San Diego’s airport) is monumentally stupid. There is simply no reason for the rule. However, you can catch a big fine if you’re stopped while displaying both Uber and Lyft trade dress at LAX.

Also, if you get matched instantly with another passenger while dropping off at LAX, great. However, if you don’t get another request immediately, it’s usually not worth it to go wait in the lot. You can wind up there for over an hour with no guarantee of a long ride. Often, you’ll be better off just getting back on the road.

Is it better to sign up for Uber or Lyft in Los Angeles?

As noted above, both Uber or Lyft are pretty busy in Los Angeles. If you run both apps at once, you’ll probably see more Uber requests.

However, when it comes to earnings, drivers who are efficient and know their way around can earn $20 per hour or more on both platforms. Likewise, full-time Uber or Lyft drivers in Los Angeles can routinely earn over $1,000 a week.

Some drivers earn much more than that, but they’re usually putting in 60-80 hours per week.

It’s usually best to sign up for both Uber and Lyft. That way, you have two revenue sources. You’ll probably wind up driving more for one, but the best way to see which one you like better is to try them both.

Lyft currently has better sign up incentives in Los Angeles, and higher driver satisfaction.

Looking For The Best Rideshare Company To Sign Up With?

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How To Drive Lyft Or Uber In Chicago

November 14, 2017/0 Comments/in Blog, City Driving Guides, Popular/by Dave

The Chicago Lyft and Uber Drivers Guide

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Chicago is the third largest rideshare market in the United States. Uber arrived all the way back in 2011, while Lyft launched in Chicago in 2013.

Both companies now have mature, and very busy operations in the Chicagoland area. Even better, the Chicago Lyft sign up bonus is currently $500!

If you’re driving, or thinking of signing up to drive for Uber or Lyft in Chicago, we’ve compiled some tips on where and when to drive, and which company you should sign up for first.

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Where are the best areas to Drive With Lyft or Uber in Chicago?

If you’re driving Uber or Lyft in the windy city, the busiest areas overall are:

The Loop – Going down Franklin usually puts you in a good position to get a request
Gold Coast – Mix of hotels and residential buildings
Streeterville – More hotels & Northwestern Hospital
Hyde Park – University of Chicago
Wicker Park – Milwaukee Avenue
Pilsen – Lagunitas

Other busy areas Beverly, Lakeview, Evanston (Northwestern), Morgan Park, Lincoln Park (DePaul) and Bridgeport.

Keep in mind, not all of these areas are busy all the time. Mostly residential areas like lakeview and Lincoln Park are busiest on morning weekdays, and weekend evenings. But those same areas aren’t as busy on weekday evenings.

Except for Evanston, none of these locations are in the suburbs. Now, that doesn’t mean you can’t make money if you’re in Oak Park or Glenview. But the population density is higher in the city, so you have a higher overall chance of getting a ride quickly.

If you’re in the middle of the loop on a Tuesday afternoon, there’s over half a million people within a mile of you. That’s not going to happen in Des Plaines.

When are the best times to drive Lyft or Uber in Chicago?

The best times to drive rideshare in Chicago are:

Weekday mornings between 6am and 9am
Weekday evenings between 5pm and 8pm –
Weekend evenings (Fri. & Sat.) between 6pm and 8pm, and between 10pm and 5am
Weekend mornings and afternoons between 10am and 2pm (Lakeview, Logan Square, Bridgeport, Hyde Park, River North, and Wicker Park are prime spots during these times.)

A good early bird strategy is to be in the Gold Coast or the Loop by 5am on weekdays. If you catch an airport run, you can get back to Roscoe Village by 6am, in time for the morning rush. Most weeks, there are more airport runs on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fridays.

On weekday nights, the loop can stay somewhat busy until 10 or 11:00pm. In the offices on Wacker, a lot of people stay pretty late. On a good night, you can get a low traffic ride out to Deerfield or Wilmette.

Of course, weekends are also a great time to drive Lyft or Uber in Chicago. On Fridays and Saturdays, it’s generally steady or busy from 6pm to 5am. If you’re going to do nights, learn where the 4am bars are.

Chicago is also a big brunch town, so Saturday and Sunday mornings are particularly busy. You can also expect a nice rush after brunch, especially by the restaurants on Randolph just outside the loop.

Lyft vs. Uber in Chicago

Uber was pretty dominant in Chicago until the end of last year. However, Lyft has been growing much faster than Uber in 2017. At this point, in Chicago, you can make just as much money, or more, driving for Lyft as you can driving with Uber. In fact, nationally, Lyft drivers earn a couple bucks more per hour than Uber drivers.

Now, Uber is still busier overall in the Chicagoland area, but that’s mostly because of the suburbs. If you take a passenger out to Palatine, you will probably wait a few minutes longer to get a request there on the Lyft platform. Even in the suburbs though, Lyft is closing the gap. A year ago, Lyft was pretty dead outside the city. That is no longer the case.

Lyft and Uber driver pay in Chicago

During some peak hours, you can make $30/hr, sometimes more. However, it’s more reasonable to expect to make $15-$20 per hour when driving for Lyft or Uber in Chicago. As you learn your way around the city, you’ll become more efficient and should be able to earn $20 per hour or more. Also, if you’re going to drive part time, the best strategy is to drive during the busy hours, if possible.

Here’s how much a couple of full time drivers made in Chicago recently. Keep in mind that both drivers had to work a lot of hours to make this much. However, you can make this much on both Lyft and Uber in Chicago, if you’re willing to put in some long hours.

Other Chicago Uber & Lyft Tips

The city of Chicago limits the amount you can drive each day to 10 hours, across all platforms. It may be raised to 12 soon. Larrabee, Leavitt & Hoyne are great streets to get across different parts of the North side. All three can save you a lot of time.

Learn Lower Wacker Drive, but don’t use it all the time. Lower wacker is a great shortcut to get across the loop quickly. You should use it if you need to get to the Eisenhower from Streeterville, for example. It’s also great for getting into the loop from Lake Shore Drive. However, be wary of getting off Lake Shore and taking it during the morning rush. The Randolph exit tends to jam up, which often makes Upper Wacker a better choice during that time.

If you’re starting off from the burbs in the morning, try using the destination feature on Lyft or Uber to get you a rider going to the near north side. If, on the other hand, you’re starting from the South Side in the morning, headed North, a veteran driver I know sets his destination for O’Hare.

Do Not Ignore Or Avoid The South Side

A lot of rideshare drivers avoid the South Side (and the West Side) entirely. This article isn’t about why drivers do this, but I’ll just say it’s a really stupid strategy, often rooted in racism.

There are 750,000 people on the South Side. The area, because of Chicago’s history of segregation, is underserved by public transportation. As a result, many of those 750,000 have started using Lyft & Uber, pushing demand for both sky high. Moreover, many people who live on the South Side work on the North Side or in the burbs. Those are long, easy rides that pay well. Finally, because a lot of drivers avoid the area, it’s a great place to go when it’s slow. You will usually get a ride quickly.

Now, there are a few parts of the South and West sides that are legitimately crappy areas. But those areas make up about 2-3% of the total area, and unless it’s night, you’ll be fine even in those areas.

Uber & Lyft Airport Dropoffs & Pickups

Chicago has two major airports, O’hare and Midway. When dropping off at either, you may receive another pick up request for a passenger at the airport. If you do, that’s great. If you don’t, you can go to the rideshare lot to wait for a passenger request from the airport.

However, if the lot is busy, you can sit there for over an hour. In many cases, if you don’t get a request while dropping off, you will be better off getting back on the road. Many veteran drivers avoid going to the airport lot, unless there’s heavy traffic going back to the city.

Is It Better To Sign Up For Lyft Or Uber First In Chicago?

Since you can make good money on either platform, it’s really up to you. Overall, drivers prefer driving for Lyft. However, Uber is still busier in parts of the Chicagoland area. This doesn’t mean you’ll make more money on Uber. But you may have less downtime in certain areas, which will make you feel busier.

Lyft still has a driver sign up bonus, Uber does not.

The only big advantage for signing up for Lyft before Uber, is that Lyft still offers a signup bonus. Uber only offers a guarantee, which works like this. If you sign up for Uber and drive 60 rides, they’ll guarantee you make $700 (gross) from those rides. If you don’t, Uber makes up the difference. The amount and number of rides are just examples. Your guarantee may be different..

Lyft is still offering sign up bonuses in Chicago. They’re usually a few hundred bucks and they are paid out per ride, as soon as you start driving. For example, Lyft may offer you a sign up bonus of $300 for giving 100 rides in your first thirty days. The bonus is paid out $3 per ride as you complete the rides. Usually, the higher the bonus amount, the less you will receive per ride.

If you’re thinking of driving part-time, you may make more money with a lower overall Lyft sign up bonus, that pays more per ride. The reason is that you may not be able to complete all the rides necessary to receive all of the larger bonuses. Lyft may offer a $900 bonus, but it will usually be $1.50 per ride for up to 600 rides, in your first 60 days. Part-time drivers usually won’t be able to do that many rides in that time. They may be better off with a $200 ($4 extra for 50 rides) or $300 ($3 extra for 100 rides) bonus.

If You Think Rideshare May Be For You, Sign up for Lyft in Chitown today.

Driving for Uber or Lyft can be a great way to make some extra money to pay for a vacation or those extra holiday expenses. Or, if you’re looking for a change from sitting in front of a desk or behind a counter, you can reliably make well over $1,000 a week driving full-time in Chicago. If you drive 60-70 hours a week, $1,500 to $2,000 is possible, once weekly bonuses are factored in.

Now, driving rideshare is work, but many find it to be interesting and fun work, most of the time. You’ll definitely meet some interesting people, and of course, some characters. You’ll also discover new things about where you live, and you’ll see parts of Chicago, and the suburbs, that you normally wouldn’t. If driving rideshare sounds like it might interest you, sign up for Lyft or Uber today and find out!

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How Much Do Uber and Lyft Drivers Make in NYC in 2017?

November 3, 2017/0 Comments/in Blog, City Driving Guides/by Dave

What Do NYC Uber And Lyft drivers Make In 2017?

Although there are some articles claiming that NYC rideshare drivers are making $80,000 – $90,000 per year, that’s usually not the case. If you’re a driver on one of the premium services like Uber Black or Lyft Lux, it’s doable. However, if you’re an efficient driver on UberX or Lyft working 40 hours a week, $50,000 – $55,000 per year is more realistic. If you work more hours, or have an SUV, UberSelect, or Lyft Premier vehicle, you can push that into the 60’s, or even the 70’s. These numbers are gross revenue before expenses like gas and insurance.

On an hourly basis, you can pull in the range of $23 – $28 per hour driving rideshare in New York City. However, those numbers are for experienced, full-time Uber or Lyft drivers. They tend to know their way around better and are simply more efficient than newer drivers. A driver just starting out in NYC for Lyft or Uber should expect their hourly pay to be more in the $18 – $21 range. After a couple of months of full time driving, that should go up to the higher range. This pattern holds true in most cities. The reason is that even if you’re familiar with a city when you first start driving rideshare, you will be more familiar after a couple of months. You’ll learn which streets move a bit quicker (see traffic and shortcut tips further down), and where the bottlenecks are. This will allow you to do more rides per hour, and increase your earnings.

How To Sign Up To Drive For Uber Or Lyft In NYC

In order to Drive With Lyft or Uber in NYC, you’ll need to get a Taxi & Limousine Commission license. Here are the 8 steps to get your TLC license:

Fill out and submit a TLC application.
Upgrade your driver’s license to a Class E or CDL. If your license is from out of state, you’ll need to request a certified abstract from that state.
Get the TLC required medical exam.
Take the TLC defensive driving course.
Take the TLC wheelchair accessible vehicle course.
Pass the TLC 3 day for hire vehicle (FHV) course.
1. The course costs $175 and the exam at the end is $75.
Complete a drug test at one of 7 TLC approved testing centers.
Get fingerprinted.

Uber offers some of the courses above for free at it’s Greenlight Hub in Long Island City. The Lyft office is just upstairs from the Uber office. if you need help with your TLC application, Uber also lets you make an appointment online at one of their Greenlight Hubs in Long Island City, The Bronx, or Brooklyn.

Lyft Office

31-00 47th Ave, 4th floor
Long Island City, NY 11101

Uber Office

31-00 47th Ave, 1st Floor

Long Island City, NY 11101

Join Lyft

Join Uber

Commercial Insurance

In addition to get a TLC license, NYC Uber and Lyft drivers must carry commercial insurance. The monthly cost for liability and collision is usually in the $450 – $700 range. Because of this, if you’re going to use your own car to drive for Uber or Lyft in NYC, it makes more sense if you plan on driving full-time.

However, there are rental options available for rideshare drivers in NYC. Most of these rental options include insurance. See our page on how to get a vehicle for Lyft or Uber for more rental information. You can also go to ubernycmarketplace.com to see vehicles available to rent for rideshare driving in NYC. Many of the places to rent vehicles for rideshare are located near the Lyft and Uber offices in Long Island City.

Is It Worth It To Sign Up For Lyft Or Uber In NYC?

Absolutely. Although the application process is a bigger pain in the butt than in most cities, New York City is one of the highest earning Lyft and Uber markets in the country. There’s very few places where Uber and Lyft drivers can make more per hour than in Manhattan. If you know your way around the island, and you drive the right hours, somewhere around $25 per hour is a pretty reasonable expectation. A lot of full-time drivers earn more than that, especially on the higher priced Uber and Lyft platforms.

However, if you want to drive part-time, it probably makes more sense to rent a vehicle, so you don’t have to deal with the prohibitive commercial insurance costs.

Should I Sign Up For Lyft Or Uber First?

Both Uber and Lyft are very busy in New York City. While you should sign up for both eventually, it makes more sense to sign up for Lyft first. Lyft is still offering a sign up bonus in NYC, while Uber has switched to a guarantee. The Lyft NYC sign up bonus has ranged between $150 and $350 recently and is paid out on a per ride basis. Lyft has also significantly increased their NYC ridership in 2017, which means they’re in need of drivers.

NYC Uber And Lyft Hotspots

Once you get licensed, here’s a few hotspots around Manhattan and some tips for gettings around. These are usually good places to go to find Lyft and Uber riders. In the mornings on weekdays, the upper west side, upper east side, and soho are great places to be. There’s also going to be a lot of people coming into Manhattan from the other boroughs, especially Brooklyn, and Queens. Chelsea Piers is a pretty good midday and weekend spot. Wall Street is great during the evening rush. Midtown and Times Square are consistently busy because of all the tourists. Also, don’t forget about Penn Station, and the other boroughs. Brooklyn tends to favor Lyft a bit, but is busy on both platforms.

A good trick veteran drivers use is to start out early in the morning (by 4:30-5:00am) around the hotels in midtown, or near SoHo. They’re aiming to get an early morning airport run in, and then get back to the city in time for the rest of the morning rush. Drivers who employ this strategy can often earn over $100-$125 by the end of rush hour.

NYC Driving, Traffic, and Shortcuts

Traffic in Manhattan can be rough. Construction and street closures don’t help either. But, you can stay ahead of them by following Gridlock Sam’s Twitter feed. Gridlock Sam is a former NYC traffic commissioner who posts information on road and highway closures throughout the city. He also posts about city events that may affect traffic. Overall, he’s a great resource for rideshare drivers in NYC.

For getting around, you’re going to want to use Google Maps or Waze when you start out. Waze gives better time estimates, but Google Maps has lane assistance, which can be helpful when you’re just starting out. While you should generally take the navigation route, here’s a few tips for getting around Manhattan. If you’re halfway between the FDR and the West Side Highway and the passenger is going downtown, remember that FDR has no lights and will be a slightly longer route (higher fare). It will also likely be faster, but check the traffic. If you’re far enough north, 110th is a quick way from the East side to the West side and vice versa. Going uptown from 14th street or above, 1st avenue can be a great friend. Likewise, on the other side of the island, become familiar with 9th and 10th avenues. And of course, unless you have to, avoid going through the park during rush hour, especially on 72nd.

Looking For The Best Rideshare Company To Sign Up With?

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The Washington D.C. Lyft and Uber Driver Guide

October 30, 2017/in Blog, City Driving Guides/by Don M.

Drive Uber and Lyft Like A Pro In Washington, D.C.

D.C. is an excellent market on both the Uber and Lyft platforms. The market is home to many high traffic rideshare areas in Maryland, Virginia, and D.C. itself. There is also a lot of traffic going in and out of D.C. on long rides. If you drive Lyft or Uber in D.C., you wind up spending time in Virginia and Maryland also. If your vehicle is on Lyft Plus, Premier, or Lux SUV, or UberSelect, that translates to some very lucrative fares. Even the UberX and regular Lyft fares on those rides are pretty high.

Where are the best areas to Drive With Lyft or Uber in Washington, D.C.?

If you’re driving for Uber or Lyft in DC, some good areas to find riders are:

Northwest D.C. – Georgetown, Business District
Northeast D.C. – NoMa, Capitol Hill, Union Station
MGM National Harbor Casino
Arlington, VA – Weekend Brunch Time Especially
Alexandria, VA

If you’re driving rideshare in the Washington metro area, you’ll also do a fair amount of dropoffs and pickups from Nationals Park, the African American History Museum, the JFK Center, and the Verizon Center. Union Market is also busy on both platforms, but Lyft in particular. On weekends, Clarendon (VA), Adams Morgan, 14th street, and U street are great, especially later in the evening.

Unlike most markets, Washington D.C. has two major airports. Dulles has more international flights, while Reagan is the choice of most business travelers. Lyft and Uber drivers in D.C. can often tell which airport someone is going by the amount of luggage they have. Business travelers tend to travel light, so if the pax has one small bag or just a carry-on, they’re likely going to Reagan.

Whether you’re on an airport run to Dulles or Reagan, after you drop off the passenger, don’t go directly to the waiting lot. First, check how many drivers are already in the lot. If there’s a ton of drivers (and traffic isn’t too terrible), don’t bother waiting in the lot. When it’s full, you can wait over an hour for a ride, with no guarantee that it’s going to be a long ride.

When are the best times to drive Lyft or Uber in Washington, D.C.?

The best times to drive rideshare in D.C. are:

Weekday mornings between 6am – 10am
Weekday evenings between 4pm – 7pm
Weekend evenings between 7pm – 3am (These are usually the most lucrative eight hours each week.)
Saturday and Sundays – 10am – 2pm (The D.C. metro area loves to brunch. Fair amount of suburban surge and Prime Time.)

Weekdays

Morning rush hours are generally great in D.C., at least when it comes to ridesharing. Because the D.C. metro is overpriced, and has some reliability issues, tons of people in the D.C. area have turned to Uber and Lyft. If you plan on driving during this time, Bethesda, Arlington, and Silver Springs are three heavy rideshare areas. You can often catch a ride from one of these areas into D.C., where you’ll be sure to catch more rides. Monday, Tuesday, and Friday morning rush hours will be the busiest weekdays most of the time.

For the evening rush hour, you’ll find riders in downtown and NoMa. Many drivers like to start around 4pm and drive until 9 or 10. They get the lucrative rush hour fares, but later on can get low traffic fares from northern D.C. to somewhere in Virginia. There are many people who work late in D.C., and they live in Virginia. Often, they’re at well paying jobs and they take a Lyft or Uber home.

Weekends

On weekends, the Mall will be busy as will the hotels downtown. You can also catch great brunch fares from residential areas. Chevy Chase and Crestwood tilt towards Uber, while Foggy Bottom, Shepard Park, and the Georgetown and Howard areas have become more Lyft heavy. That being said, you can probably find rides on both platforms in all of these areas.

On weekend nights, you will make the most money between 10pm and 3am. Early in the evening, you’ll have a lot of rides coming in from the suburbs, as well as the D.C. residential areas I just mentioned (Foggy Bottom & Georgetown especially). Once it gets late, DuPont Circle, Adams Morgan, 14th Street, U Street, H Street, and Penn Quarter are the places to be.

Lyft vs. Uber In The Washington, D.C. Area

Uber has been in D.C. longer and has a larger market share than Lyft. However, Lyft has started catching up this year. They’ve done a lot of rider recruitment in the D.C., Virginia, and Maryland over the past year. As a result, they’ve more than doubled the number of rides they’re giving in those areas.

While Uber’s market share is still larger, your hourly pay will probably be a little higher on Lyft. Nationally, Lyft drivers make about $2 more per hour than Uber drivers. However, in certain markets, Uber is still busier than Lyft. If you haven’t signed up to drive for either service, you’re probably better off signing up with Lyft first. Unlike Uber, Lyft still has a sign up bonus, which has recently been in the $500 – $800 range in Washington, D.C.

Lyft and Uber driver pay in Washington, D.C.

During certain hours, your earnings can reach as high as $30-$35 per hour. However, when you’re just starting out, a more reasonable expectation is $15-$20 per hour when driving for Lyft or Uber in Washington, D.C. After a month of driving, you will be a lot better at rideshare driving, and should be able to pull in around $20 per hour, possibly more. If you’re part-time and can target the busiest hours, you can make more per hour from the get go.

Overall, if you target as many of the busiest days and hours listed above, you stand to make more per hour. If you want to drive part time, you can probably take home $20/hr or more, if you concentrate on morning rush hours (M, T, F) or weekend evenings. If you drive full time, or want to, you should also drive those hours if possible, and add in some evening rush hours as well.

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The Definitive Guide To Driving For Lyft Or Uber In Philadelphia

October 22, 2017/in Blog, City Driving Guides/by Don Pritchett

Where are the best areas to Drive With Lyft or Uber in Philadelphia?

If you’re driving rideshare in Philly, you’re likely to find a lot of riders near:

Center City – Avenue of the Arts (Broad Street), Rittenhouse Square, and 30th Street Station
West Philadelphia (insert Fresh Prince joke here) – Baltimore Ave
Manayunk – Main Street
University City – Univ. of Penn | Drexel University
South Philly – Sports Complex – Lincoln Financial Field (Eagles games) | Wells Fargo Center (Flyers games)
King of Prussia Mall

Some other Philadelphia Lyft and Uber rideshare hotspots are Northern Liberties, Old City, SugarHouse Casino, and the Delaware River Waterfront (Morgan’s Pier). Plenty of riders can also be found in Cedar Park, Fairmount, and Fishtown.

Overall, the city is busier than the suburbs on both Lyft and Uber. Uber is still busier than Lyft in the suburbs, but Lyft is quickly catching up. If you find yourself in the suburbs and it’s dead, you can always use the destination setting in the app (rides towards a specific directions) to get you a rider going back to the city or the airport. Uber lets you use this feature twice daily, but Lyft allows six uses per day.

Speaking of the airport, PHL is also a great spot for lucrative rides in Philadelphia. If you get a ride to the airport, you may even get another pickup request before you drop off your passenger. If not, you can head to the staging area to wait for a return ride. However, you always want to check the app to see how many drivers are in the staging area before you head over there. If the lot is very full, you may be better off heading back to town. A lot of drivers make the mistake of going to the airport staging lot when there’s a lot of drivers there already. They can wind up waiting over an hour for a ride. So, always check the number of drivers in the lot before heading over.

When are the best times to drive Lyft or Uber in Philadelphia?

The best times to drive rideshare in Philadelphia are:

Weekday mornings between 7am and 9am (Some drivers start at 5am instead and can pull in over $100 by 9am.)
Weekday evenings between 4:30pm and 8:00pm (Many drivers go past 8pm because they can still catch lucrative rides from people working late downtown going to the burbs.)
Weekend evenings (Fri. & Sat.) between 6pm and 8pm, and between 10pm and 3am
Weekend mornings and afternoons between 10am and 3pm (If you don’t want to drive nights, this is a great time to drive because there’s fewer drivers on the road.)

The busiest days of the week are Mondays, Thursdays, and Fridays. Expect a fair number of rides to Philadelphia International Airport on Mondays and Fridays. Tuesdays and Wednesdays can also be lucrative if you drive peak hours. A lot of full time drivers will drive the morning rush hour through lunch on those days, take a break, and then come back and do the evening rush hour. These drivers tend to have the highest per hour earnings. While weekend nights are generally the biggest money makers overall, weekend mornings and early afternoons can also be very lucrative. There are fewer drivers on the road, but a lot of people go places on weekends in the late morning and early afternoon.

Lyft and Uber driver pay in Philadelphia

During peak hours, your earnings can reach as high as $35 per hour, sometimes more. However, when you’re just starting out, a more reasonable expectation is $15-$20 per hour when driving for Lyft or Uber in Philadelphia. As you learn your way around the city, you’ll become more efficient and should be able to earn $20 per hour or more.

Lyft vs. Uber in Philadelphia

Uber has been in Philadelphia since 2012, while Lyft came to town in 2015. Until this year, Uber’s market share had been steady and dominant. This year, however, Lyft has been able to consistently cut into Uber’s market share. One reason this has happened is because of Lyft’s focus on increasing ridership in the city. Another reason Lyft ridership has skyrocketed is probably due to Uber’s continuing public relations troubles. Whatever the reasons though, the Lyft rider boom in Philadelphia has the left the company with a bit of a problem – they need more drivers!

Drive With Lyft in Philadelphia – Lyft Philadelphia Bonus up to $725

Use Lyft Driver Promo Code – RIDESHARECENTRAL

Currently, some of the best Lyft driver promos in the country are available in Philadelphia. Recently, the Lyft sign up bonus in Philly has ranged from $300 to $725. The reason Lyft is offering such high driver sign up bonuses is simple. The have a lot more riders than they did a year ago and they need more drivers on the road.

While Lyft has been operating in Philadelphia since early 2015, they have seen a tremendous boom in ridership this year. At the beginning of 2017, Lyft began offering great rider incentives. These incentives have been overwhelmingly successful, and Lyft ridership is currently at an all time high in Philadelphia. In the first six months of 2017, Lyft actually gave more rides in Philadelphia than in all of 2016!

Why you should sign up for Lyft over Uber in Philadelphia.

While Uber has been operating in Philadelphia since 2012, the massive increase in Lyft ridership this year means that a driver can make as much, if not more, driving for Lyft in Philadelphia as they could driving for Uber. In fact, in many markets, Lyft drivers tend to make around 10% more per hour than Uber drivers. In some cities, they make 15% more. The reasons for this are twofold.

First, Lyft pays drivers more than Uber for certain types of rides, such as carpool rides (rides with multiple passengers going different place). Lyft pays its drivers the same amount whether it’s a Lyft Line (Lyft’s carpool service) ride or a regular Lyft ride. Uber, on the other hand, pays a driver less for UberPool rides than for UberX rides.

The second reason Lyft drivers tend to make more is tipping. While Uber recently added an in-app tipping option, Lyft riders have been able to tip drivers in the app since the service started. As a result, most Uber riders have been pre-conditioned not to tip. For years, in fact, Uber misled riders into thinking that a tip was included in the fare. So, even though riders can now tip in both apps, Lyft riders tend to tip at a substantially higher rate.

Given the likelihood of higher pay, it definitely makes more sense to sign up for Lyft over Uber in Philadelphia. And if you’re already driving for Uber in Philly, it’s a better time than ever to try driving for Lyft. However, there’s one more reason you should choose Lyft over Uber – the sign up bonus.

Lyft still has a driver sign up bonus, Uber does not.

Besides the higher pay on Lyft, there’s one more important reason to sign up for Lyft before Uber – the sign up bonus. Lyft still offers a sign up bonus. Uber does not. Uber has changed their sign up bonus to a guarantee.

The Uber new driver guarantee works like this. Uber will offer a new driver in Philadelphia guaranteed earnings of $800 if they complete 110 rides in 30 days. If the driver completes the 110 rides, but only makes $700, Uber will make up the difference. If the driver makes $850 from those 110 rides, they get nothing. Not really a bonus, is it?

Lyft, on the other hand, may offer a new driver $500 for completing 100 rides in 30 days. This Lyft bonus would be paid out at $5 on every ride for the first 100 rides. This means a new Lyft driver starts receiving their sign up bonus as soon as they start driving!

The bonus amounts vary by driver and city. The numbers mentioned above are just examples. One final note – if you have an SUV or a high end vehicle, you can make even more on Lyft by driving Lyft Plus or Lyft Premier.

Final Take – Sign up for Lyft or Uber in Philly today and start making money.

Looking For The Best Rideshare Company To Sign Up With?

With Lyft, you can sign up to drive even if you don’t have a car!

Lyft Sign Up Bonus

Driving rideshare is fun, and often fulfilling work. You meet great people, have some terrific conversations, and get to see your city in a new way. We often don’t realize it, but most of us never see 90% of the city in which we live. One of the great things about rideshare driving is you get to see new neighborhoods and areas of your city that you never would’ve gone to. In the more than three years I’ve been rideshare driving, I’ve discovered new parks, walking paths, restaurants, and nightlife areas that I just didn’t know existed. Put simply, driving rideshare has given me a new appreciation for my city and the people in it. It can do the same for you.

So, if you’re looking to make an extra few hundred dollars a week, or want a full time job where you can make over $1000 per week, while learning about your city, sign up to Drive With Lyft or Uber today!

The Definitive Guide to Driving For Lyft or Uber in Boston

October 20, 2017/in Blog, City Driving Guides/by Dave

When are the best times to drive Lyft or Uber in Boston?

The best times to drive rideshare in Boston are:

Weekday mornings between 6am and 9am
Weekday evenings between 5pm and 7:30pm
Weekend evenings (Fri. & Sat.) between 6pm and 8pm, and between 10pm and 2am
Weekend mornings and afternoons between 9am and 2pm

During the week, Monday, Thursdays, and Fridays tend to be busier than Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Expect a fair number of rides to Logan on Mondays and Fridays. While weekend nights are generally the biggest money makers, weekend mornings and early afternoons can also be very lucrative and are less of a hassle trafficwise.

Pro Tip – If you’re going to start your driving day from a suburb in the morning, set your destination towards downtown or Logan to get you into the city. There are simply more ride requests coming from that area, so you want to get down there to maximize your profitability. The destination setting will only give you rides towards a particular destination. Uber allows you to use this setting twice a day, but Lyft allows six uses per day.

If you haven’t signed up yet, the Lyft sign up bonus in Boston is currently $500.

What are the best areas to drive Lyft or Uber in Boston?

The best Boston rideshare hotspots are Fenway Park and the surrounding bar area, TD Garden and the surrounding area, South Station, Harvard Square, and around Fanueil Hall.

Logan airport is also very busy, but if the staging area (where drivers wait for requests) is full, you may be better off immediately heading back to the city or into Cambridge, rather than spend 45 minutes to an hour waiting for a ride request. Hopefully, you won’t even have to go to the staging area to get a ride request after dropping off at Logan. This is because both Lyft and Uber may give you a return rider as soon as you dropoff your current passenger at the airport. This doesn’t always happen though. It depends how busy Logan is at the time.

Boston rideshare driving strategies – Part Time Drivers

If you’re going to drive rideshare part time in Boston, it’s important to choose your hours carefully, and stick to a schedule. If you plan on driving 10-15 hours a week, try and schedule your driving hours during the best times to drive that I mentioned earlier. Doing so will likely result in 25-60% higher earnings than driving during off peak hours. That boost can mean the difference between bringing in $150 over 10 hours versus $250. The simple fact is that more people are taking rides at 6am on a Tuesday, than at 1pm. Higher demand tends to mean more rides, and higher fares. Try and plan your schedule accordingly.

Boston rideshare driving strategies – Full Time Drivers

If you plan on driving full time for Lyft or Uber in Boston, do the following to increase your profitability. Some of these tactics may be helpful for part-time drivers as well.

Make a schedule. Some drivers tend to drive more nights, some drive mornings. Other drivers only drive morning and evening rush hours plus the weekends. Some drivers start at 7am and drive for 12 hours 6 days a week. However, the drivers who choose and stick to a schedule tend to earn more per hour than drivers who don’t.

Don’t drive around unnecessarily. Note locations of standing zones, and parking lots, as you drive around. Often, you’ll want to pull over and stop during the time between rides so you don’t waste gas. This becomes easier as you become familiar with the area.

If you’re starting from the suburbs in the morning, try and get on the road between 6 and 7am, and consider using the destination setting to get near downtown, Cambridge or Brookline. Once you’re in those areas, you should start receiving requests pretty quickly. The destination setting may not always be necessary as there are a lot of people heading into the city from the suburbs on weekday mornings.

Between rush hours, good places to find riders in Boston include areas around Harvard, M.I.T., Boston University, and Boston College. Mass General is also a good spot because hospital shifts aren’t 9-5. You’ll also want to stick around the hotels in touristy areas.

Effect Of The Massachusetts Rideshare Law

There has never been a better time to start driving for Lyft or Uber in Boston. Earlier this year, Massachusetts instituted more stringent background checks for drivers. As a result, 8,000 Lyft and Uber drivers failed the new background checks and were removed from both platforms. Although the state loosened the background check restrictions in September, both Uber and Lyft have been still been scrambling to find new Boston area drivers. To accomplish this, they’ve been offering some of the highest driver sign up bonuses and guarantees in the country!

The Lyft Sign Up Bonus in Boston is currently between $500 – $1025. The Boston Uber sign up bonus guarantees are also several hundred dollars to over $1,000. These bonuses won’t last forever though. Earlier this summer, Lyft actually had a $2,000 sign up bonus in Boston. Additionally, both companies often offer weekly incentives to new drivers. These incentives can add hundreds of dollars to your weekly pay.

The reason Lyft had such a high signup bonus is that Lyft ridership has significantly increased in Boston in 2017, especially in areas like Medford, Cambridge and Brookline. Overall, Lyft gave more rides in the Boston area in the first six months of 2017 than they did in all of 2016! This has allowed Lyft to consistently cut into Uber’s market share throughout 2017. Overall, Uber is still busier in suburbs like Lexington, Winchester, and Waltham. But when it comes to downtown Boston, South Boston, and the rest of the city, both Uber and Lyft are pretty busy. However, in a few neighborhoods, Lyft has been busier than Uber since the Spring.

Should I sign up to Drive With Lyft or Uber in Boston?

While you can make good money on both platforms, Rideshare Central recommends signing up for Lyft first in Boston. Both platforms are busy in Boston, but Lyft ridership has pickup up a lot in the past year. Moreover, drivers tend to prefer driving for Lyft. Driver support is better and less impersonal. Moreover, although in app tipping is available on both platforms now, Lyft passengers tend to tip at a higher rate than Uber passengers. However, the main reason you should sign up for Lyft first is that their sign up bonus is currently better than Uber’s. In fact, Lyft is still offering a sign up bonus in Boston.

Looking For The Best Rideshare Company To Sign Up With?

With Lyft, you can sign up to drive even if you don’t have a car!

Lyft Sign Up Bonus

What’s the difference between the Uber and Lyft sign up bonuses?

The current Uber sign up guarantee works like this. Uber offers new drivers a guaranteed amount if they do a certain number of rides in a set amount of time (usually 30-60 days). For example, Uber will offer a Boston driver a $1025 guarantee if they give 120 rides in their first 45 days. If the driver earns less than $1025 from those 120 rides, Uber will make up the difference. If the driver earns more than $1025, they get nothing. In most cases, if a driver gives 120 Uber rides in Boston, they will hit that $1025 anyway.

On the other hand, the Lyft sign up bonus is an actual bonus. Even better, new Lyft drivers start receiving their bonus as soon as they hit the road. This is how the Lyft driver sign up bonus works. Lyft will offer a new driver in Boston a set bonus (usually $500-$1000) if they complete a certain number of rides in the first 30-60 days. For example, Lyft may offer a new Boston driver a $600 sign up bonus. The bonus will pay out an extra $4 per ride for their first 150 rides. The driver will have usually have 45-60 days to complete those rides. The bonus is on top of any driver earnings from the rides.

As you can see, in Boston, it makes far more sense to sign up for Lyft first, because you’ll actually get a driver sign up bonus.

driver for lyft by the boston old state house

Final Take – The Best Time To Start Rideshare Driving in Boston is now!

Driving rideshare is generally really fun as a job. You meet a lot of interesting people, learn your way around your city, and get paid to do it. Even if you’ve lived in Boston your whole life, I guarantee you will discover more about the city in a couple of months driving for Lyft or Uber than you thought possible.

Whether you want to drive full time or part time, there has never been a more lucrative time to start driving rideshare in Boston. Ridership is at record levels, and both Lyft and Uber are in need of drivers. If you’re just starting out and you’re full time, you’ll likely be making more in the $15-$20 an hour range. As you improve, that number can go up. If that interests you, click below to see your Lyft sign up bonus.

Looking For The Best Rideshare Company To Sign Up With?

With Lyft, you can sign up to drive even if you don’t have a car!

Lyft Sign Up Bonus

Photo by Shawn Pierce Photography
Photo by CthulhuWho1 (Will Hart)