Uber and Lyft have been in Rochester for a year now. And many low-income residents say they’ve found less expensive transportation opportunities and even employment through it.
“It helped me out a lot because it’s cheaper than a regular yellow cab, it’s more convenient with the app. Instead of calling someone or waiting for them to call you, the app tells you everything,” said Stephanie Vargas, a Rochester resident who said she used Uber and Lyft frequently before she purchased a car two weeks ago.
Vargas says she used ride-sharing to get to work, home after hanging out with friends and to take her nephew to doctor’s appointments. She says the flexibility is what makes ride-sharing better than the bus and it’s also cheaper than a typical taxi.
“Sometimes I would look at both of them to see how much the fare would be depending on either Uber or Lyft, and then I would go with the cheaper one.”
That flexibility also allows low-income residents to make extra money when they sign up to be a driver. There are some restrictions. For example, drivers must have car insurance and a more recent model to sign up. They must also, of course, pass a background check.
“One of the most challenging parts of finding work in our country and in Rochester, particularly, is how do you make your schedule fit with your work, or rather, how do you make work fit with your schedule,” Uber General Manager Brian Hughes said.
He says the top 10 destinations for the first year also highlight the diverse ways ride-sharing is used.
“You’ll see even in the top 10 destinations, Strong Hospital is one of them, so when people really need to visit a sick family member or go to a doctor’s appointment, or do an errand during the day, Uber is there for them.”
Some of the other top destinations include the airport, Murphy’s Law Irish Pub, St. John Fisher College, Lux Lounge and Radio Social.