The Hidden Math that Enables More Citi Bike Rides

Welcome to the latest edition of Rev, Lyft’s guide to the ideas, people, and technologies driving the transportation revolution.?

This week, we’re examining some of the behind-the-scenes work that goes into making transportation available to more people, as well as the impact it has on passengers and drivers alike. Ready to read and ride? Buckle up!?

In this issue:

• Why is there always a Citi Bike waiting for you when and where you want it? It's not magic; it's math
• Some six million Americans miss medical appointments because they don't have a way to get there. Rideshare can help.
• Meet an ex-startup worker who became a teacher and rideshare driver?

How Citi Bike Ensures You Always Have a Ride Nearby

Around 80,000 times each day, someone unlocks a Citi Bike for a ride in New York City.?

This huge volume of daily rides is enabled by Citi Bike software engineers and their trusty algorithms. Working behind-the-scenes, they ensure the supply of available bicycles is distributed intelligently across docking stations, when and where riders are looking for them.?

One key metric drives Citi Bike’s distribution algorithm: enabling the most rides. That means equipping stations with enough bicycles to meet projected demand, but also leaving enough vacant spaces for riders to park bikes when they’re done. It’s a tricky balancing act that incorporates trends data and real-time use signals.?

Read more about the hidden math that optimizes Citi Bike balancing (and rebalancing) here.

Better Transportation Can Improve Health

Going to the doctor is hassle enough. But for people without reliable access to transportation, it’s even more difficult. In fact, nearly six million Americans annually miss or delay healthcare because they don’t have a way to get there. And the impact goes beyond doctors’ visits. People who face transportation hurdles tend to be more isolated — from friends, grocery stores, and other aspects of modern life — and that can also impact their health.?

But over the last several years, a new option has emerged: Lyft Healthcare, which works with healthcare organizations to provide access to rides at no cost to the patients. Today, Lyft Healthcare operates in all 50 states. Additionally, Lyft Healthcare partners with state Medicaid programs — which are required to offer transportation benefits — to provide transportation access for up to 46 million beneficiaries across 18 states.?

Read more about Lyft Healthcare here.

Finding a New Career Path in the Classroom, and Behind the Wheel?

When Richard Flores lost his start-up job, he was secretly relieved. “I hated my job,” he says “I’d dealt with anxiety and depression since I was a kid, but that was when I got diagnosed as clinically depressed. I thought, ‘If this job is making me sad, what job is going to bring me happiness?’”

Inspired by a friend who taught at their old high school, Flores pursued his own education degree, which required him to do a full year of unpaid student teaching. He covered his costs by driving on the Lyft platform, making $150 his first day. Today, he still teaches in the morning and drives at night.?

Read more about his career journey and how driving helped him pursue it here.?

That’s all for this week. Thanks for subscribing! Stay healthy and ride safely. Until next time,

— Rev staff