Lyft fills more public transit gaps in Utah than elsewhere

By the numbers: Nationally, 42% of riders have used Lyft "to get around when public transit does not operate," according to survey data released last month in the company's annual economic impact report.

• That compares to 55% in Salt Lake and 56% statewide.

Catch up quick: Utah Transit Authority suspended some routes during the pandemic and made major cuts to bus routes and schedules in 2022.

• Many of those were restored earlier this year, when UTA announced a major service expansion including new routes in northern Utah and more frequent buses on some existing routes.
• Meanwhile, a TRAX station opened last week near the South Jordan ballpark before the Bees first baseball games in the new stadium in Daybreak this month.

Zoom out: Lyft's report sheds light on its drivers and riders in Utah.

• Drivers here are more likely to work at — or be seeking — another job and more likely to speak a language other than English at home than drivers nationwide.
• Utah's riders are less likely than those nationwide to use the app for healthcare-related trips or — not surprisingly — because they plan to drink alcohol.