Lyft Is Looking To Make Huge Gains Across US

One of Uber's main competitors, Lyft, is looking to launch a huge expansion across the United States and move into operating in a number of new jurisdictions. The company is looking to launch in at least 100 new cities across the country by the end of this year. If they are successful, that would bring the number of cities that they are serving overall to about 300 or more. This week alone they will be looking at launching in at least 40 new cities.

They have accelerated their launch pace and have surpassed that of 2016.

Right now you can find them in hundreds of cities across the United States and they have already served millions of customers. When they are finished with the plans for their new expansion, they will be able to offer access to at least 231 million people in the United States. Compare their success to that of Uber, who operates currently in at least 450 cities around the world.

And we might soon see Lyft expand its presence outside of the US as well.

This week Lyft will be launching in a number of new cities: Clarksville TN, El Centro CA, Johnson City TN, Dover DE, Altoona PA, Johnstown PA, Harrisonburg VA, Baton Rouge LA, Salisbury NC, Columbia SC, Wichita KS, and many other areas.

When you look at Uber compared to Lyft, you can see that Uber has a much greater share of the market at the moment. But who knows, maybe in a few years Lyft might grow and gain more of it. In recent years, it looks like Lyft is growing at a much faster pace (see graph below). And both Uber and Lyft will have to watch out for other competitors as well.

One thing is certain, and that is that many people in the market when they need to get a ride in order to get some place, are increasingly turning to ride-sharing programs instead of the traditional taxi option. People report a number of reasons for opting for the ride-sharing transportation method, some of those reasons are saving money and saving time.

According to CNBC, it's estimated that Uber currently has about 14,000+ cars operating in New York, compared to about 13,587 yellow medallion cabs

And despite the protests and legal battles that these ride-sharing programs have had to overcome, they are still growing strong, providing service to millions of people, and earning a lot in the process. This industry only started a few years ago and it has quickly grown to be a billion-dollar industry that operates around the globe. Perhaps it's safe to say that ride-sharing transportation methods are here to stay.

Pics:
Fortune
Forbes
VenturaBeat
Sources:
http://www.businessinsider.com/lyft-launching-in-100-new-us-cities-full-list-2017-1
https://www.fix.com/blog/ridesharing-on-the-rise/
https://rideshareapps.com/2015-rideshare-infographic/