Lyft Adjusts Winter Pricing in 78 Cities
Over the weekend, Lyft drivers started getting emails about changes in pricing in their cities. At the time, I knew of a few cities, but knew that Lyft was doing something bigger. The pricing would go live yesterday so I wouldn’t be able to check until yesterday.
Historically, Uber was always the first to cut fares during the winter. While I still expect them to cut fares in more than 100 cities this year, Lyft seemed to beat them to the punch. By the magnitude of the fare cut, this seems to be a small adjustment to the prices. There were only a few cities that received large fare cuts. Most of the fares were just adjusted, a few cents in either direction. It seems as if Lyft has been planning this for a long time since this adjustment hit 78 out of their 111 markets, which is substantial. Uber’s fare cuts last year only affected about 50% of their cities.
For reference, last year, Uber has reduced prices in a total of 117 cities in 2016 (the total count in 2015 is 52 in total) and Lyft cut fares in 48 cities last year:
- Uber List of Fare Cuts in 80 Cities in 2016
- Lyft Responds by Cutting Fares in 30 Cities in 2016
- Uber Cuts Fares in 26 more Cities in 2016
- Lyft Cuts Fares in 8 Cities in March 2016
- Lyft Cut Fares in 10 Cities in November 2016
Lyft 2017 Winter Pricing Summary:
While Lyft did cut fares in many cities, many of the adjustments in either direction was very small. It was normally a few cents in either direction. You may want to check the tables below to see how big the change was in your city. I believe drivers in all markets were notified so you can also check your email to see what the changes were.
- On average as a whole, there was no average price cut. The cities with fare increases cancelled out the cities with fare decreases.
- 36 Cities got small fare increases with an average of a 6% increase
- 42 Cities got small fare decreases with an average of a 6% cut
- Lyft reduced minimum fares by an average of 8% for Lyft, and 13% for Lyft Plus
- Lyft’s Safety fee seem to be adjusted as well. This will only affect customers and not drivers.
- Lyft also consolidated a few markets, notably New Jersey Shore, Ventura and Palm Springs into their neighboring market.
I don’t have much confidence that many of these cities that received fare cuts will return back to their older fare pricing. It seems that these pricing adjustments are not temporary, mainly in the magnitude of the change. It is only a few percent change in many cities.
Lyft 2017 Winter Price Cuts:
These 42 cities received a small fare decrease. Three cities seem to have a substantial cut:
| Cities | Lyft Regular | Lyft Plus |
| Ann Arbor | -1% | -2% |
| Annapolis | -2% | -1% |
| Atlanta | -17% | -8% |
| Austin | -1% | -3% |
| Bloomington | -1% | -1% |
| Cape-Cod | -1% | 0% |
| Charleston | -22% | -26% |
| Charlotte | -3% | -2% |
| Cincinnati | -2% | -1% |
| Cleveland | -2% | -2% |
| Colorado Springs | -1% | -7% |
| Dallas Fort Worth | -4% | 26% |
| Detroit | -4% | -5% |
| East Bay | -1% | -1% |
| Fresno | -2% | -7% |
| Honolulu | -3% | -15% |
| Inland Empire | -2% | 16% |
| Jacksonville | -3% | 14% |
| Lafayette | -1% | 0% |
| Lake Tahoe | -23% | -23% |
| Las Vegas | -1% | 0% |
| Los Angeles | -1% | 0% |
| Louisville | -1% | 1% |
| Memphis | -3% | -2% |
| Minneapolis St Paul | -3% | 0% |
| Modesto | -1% | -3% |
| Napa and Sonoma County | -4% | -2% |
| Nashville | -4% | 52% |
| Orange County | -9% | 0% |
| Park City | -25% | 2% |
| Phoenix | -10% | -9% |
| Pittsburgh | -3% | -1% |
| Providence | -2% | 20% |
| Raleigh Durham | -3% | 13% |
| Salt Lake City | -3% | 0% |
| San Antonio | -3% | -4% |
| San Diego | -1% | 0% |
| San Francisco | -2% | 0% |
| Stockton | -3% | -29% |
| Suffolk County | -84% | -83% |
| Tampa Bay | -1% | -2% |
| Tucson | -6% | -4% |
I wouldn’t read into the large cut in the Suffolk County too much. It seems as if they have changed from pricing with TLC plates to without, which is very strange.
Lyft 2017 Winter Price Increases
These 36 cities got a small fare increase:
| Cities | Lyft Regular | Lyft Plus |
| Athens | 11% | -33% |
| Bakersfield | 1% | 0% |
| Boise | 5% | 0% |
| Boston | 4% | -2% |
| Bridgeport-CT | 6% | 3% |
| Champaign | 2% | 11% |
| Chattanooga | 19% | 4% |
| Columbus | 1% | -1% |
| Denver | 19% | -1% |
| Green Bay | 1% | 0% |
| Hartford | 11% | 5% |
| Indianapolis | 2% | 3% |
| Knoxville | 2% | 0% |
| Lansing | 5% | 3% |
| Madison | 3% | 12% |
| Miami | 2% | 0% |
| Milwaukee | 8% | -1% |
| New Haven | 6% | 3% |
| New Jersey | 1% | -16% |
| New Orleans | 5% | 4% |
| Norwich | 6% | 3% |
| Oklahoma City | 1% | -8% |
| Omaha | 33% | 4% |
| Orlando | 2% | -1% |
| Philadelphia | 4% | 0% |
| Portland-ME | 8% | 16% |
| Portland | 8% | 14% |
| Richmond | 1% | 2% |
| Sacramento | 5% | 0% |
| Sarasota | 36% | 0% |
| Savannah | 2% | 0% |
| Seattle | 9% | 7% |
| Toledo | 3% | 1% |
| Tulsa | 1% | 0% |
| Virginia Beach Hampton Roads | 12% | 2% |
| Washington DC | 15% | 0% |
Lyft 2017 Winter Pricing Raw Data:
Below is the list of all Lyft markets, along with the percentage change. Negative means a fare cut while positive means that fares went up.
| Cities | Lyft Regular | Lyft Plus | Lyft Min | Plus Min |
| Albuquerque | 0% | 0% | -19% | 0% |
| Ann Arbor | -1% | -2% | 0% | -27% |
| Annapolis | -2% | -1% | 0% | -13% |
| Athens | 11% | -33% | -11% | -8% |
| Atlanta | -17% | -8% | 0% | -22% |
| Austin | -1% | -3% | -11% | -7% |
| Bakersfield | 1% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Baltimore | 0% | 11% | 0% | -6% |
| Bloomington | -1% | -1% | -37% | -43% |
| Boise | 5% | 0% | -15% | -7% |
| Boulder | 0% | -1% | 0% | -14% |
| Boston | 4% | -2% | 0% | 0% |
| Bradenton | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Bridgeport-CT | 6% | 3% | -11% | -8% |
| Cape-Cod | -1% | 0% | -16% | 0% |
| Champaign | 2% | 11% | -11% | -8% |
| Charleston | -22% | -26% | 0% | -8% |
| Charlotte | -3% | -2% | 0% | -9% |
| Charlottesville | 0% | 0% | -53% | -17% |
| Chattanooga | 19% | 4% | -11% | -7% |
| Chicago | 0% | -1% | 0% | -13% |
| Cincinnati | -2% | -1% | -11% | -27% |
| Cleveland | -2% | -2% | 0% | 0% |
| Colorado Springs | -1% | -7% | 0% | -14% |
| Columbus | 1% | -1% | 0% | -14% |
| Dallas Fort Worth | -4% | 26% | 0% | -37% |
| Dayton | 0% | 0% | -46% | -33% |
| Denver | 19% | -1% | 0% | -14% |
| Detroit | -4% | -5% | 0% | -20% |
| East Bay | -1% | -1% | 0% | 0% |
| Flagstaff | 0% | -21% | -25% | -49% |
| Fort Collins | 0% | 0% | 0% | -8% |
| Fresno | -2% | -7% | 0% | -14% |
| Grand Rapids | 0% | -2% | -13% | -10% |
| Green Bay | 1% | 0% | -11% | -8% |
| Greensboro | 0% | 0% | -39% | -28% |
| Harrisburg | 0% | 0% | -22% | -18% |
| Hartford | 11% | 5% | -11% | -8% |
| Honolulu | -3% | -15% | -17% | -9% |
| Indianapolis | 2% | 3% | 0% | -43% |
| Inland Empire | -2% | 16% | 0% | 0% |
| Jacksonville | -3% | 14% | 0% | -14% |
| Knoxville | 2% | 0% | -11% | -9% |
| Lafayette | -1% | 0% | -37% | 0% |
| Lake Tahoe | -23% | -23% | -33% | -18% |
| Lancaster | 0% | 0% | -22% | -18% |
| Lansing | 5% | 3% | 0% | -29% |
| Las Vegas | -1% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Lawrence | 0% | 0% | -20% | -17% |
| Lexington | 0% | -5% | 0% | -39% |
| Lincoln | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Los Angeles | -1% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Louisville | -1% | 1% | 0% | -41% |
| Madison | 3% | 12% | -11% | -14% |
| Memphis | -3% | -2% | -1% | -1% |
| Miami | 2% | 0% | -15% | -20% |
| Milwaukee | 8% | -1% | 0% | -14% |
| Minneapolis St Paul | -3% | 0% | 0% | -33% |
| Modesto | -1% | -3% | 0% | -14% |
| Napa and Sonoma County | -4% | -2% | 0% | -7% |
| Naples | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Nashville | -4% | 52% | 0% | 1% |
| New Haven | 6% | 3% | -11% | -8% |
| New Jersey | 1% | -16% | -1% | -14% |
| New Orleans | 5% | 4% | 25% | 0% |
| New York City | 0% | 2% | 0% | -13% |
| Norwich | 6% | 3% | -11% | -8% |
| Oklahoma City | 1% | -8% | -6% | -29% |
| Omaha | 33% | 4% | 0% | -17% |
| Orange County | -9% | 0% | -36% | 0% |
| Orlando | 2% | -1% | 0% | 3% |
| Park City | -25% | 2% | -7% | -8% |
| Philadelphia | 4% | 0% | 0% | -20% |
| Phoenix | -10% | -9% | 0% | -6% |
| Pittsburgh | -3% | -1% | 0% | 0% |
| Port Charlotte | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Portland-ME | 8% | 16% | -20% | -9% |
| Portland | 8% | 14% | -5% | -25% |
| Providence | -2% | 20% | 0% | -14% |
| Raleigh Durham | -3% | 13% | 0% | 50% |
| Reading | 0% | 26% | -22% | -18% |
| Reno | 0% | -4% | 0% | -21% |
| Richmond | 1% | 2% | 0% | 0% |
| Sacramento | 5% | 0% | -25% | -33% |
| Salt Lake City | -3% | 0% | 0% | -8% |
| San Antonio | -3% | -4% | 0% | -14% |
| San Diego | -1% | 0% | 0% | -17% |
| San Francisco | -2% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Santa Barbara | 0% | 0% | 0% | -14% |
| Santa Fe | 0% | 0% | -24% | -50% |
| Sarasota | 36% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Savannah | 2% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Scranton | 0% | 0% | -22% | -18% |
| Seattle | 9% | 7% | -13% | -21% |
| Silicon Valley | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Southampton | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Spokane | 0% | 2% | -15% | -25% |
| State College | 0% | 0% | -10% | -8% |
| Stockton | -3% | -29% | -14% | -56% |
| Suffolk County | -84% | -83% | -75% | -71% |
| Tacoma | 0% | -2% | 4% | -9% |
| Tampa Bay | -1% | -2% | 0% | 6% |
| Toledo | 3% | 1% | -11% | -17% |
| Tucson | -6% | -4% | 0% | 35% |
| Tulsa | 1% | 0% | 0% | -17% |
| Virginia Beach Hampton Roads | 12% | 2% | -11% | -14% |
| Washington DC | 15% | 0% | 0% | -14% |
| Wilmington | 0% | 0% | -33% | -19% |
| York | 0% | 0% | -22% | -18% |
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