RIDE UNITED

Most of us take transportation for granted. The ability to get from Point A to Point B, while critical, is usually an afterthought. For many people in our community, however, transportation is a major challenge. If you cannot drive yourself and are unable to secure a ride, transportation can be an insurmountable barrier between you and your job, your doctor, your school and more.

Our local United Way wants to help people get where they’re going, which is why we launched Ride United. Ride United is a United Way program that provides on-demand Lyft rides for people with no other transportation options.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

Ride United offers temporary, pre-scheduled LYFT rides to connect Cedar Valley residents to education, employment, health care and other critical services. Those in need of transportation assistance should reach out 
to a participating agency to determine eligibility or schedule a ride.

  • Ride scheduling is available Monday through Friday from 8:30 am to 4:00 pm
  • Rides must be scheduled at least 1 business day in advance of your needed ride
  • Rides needed outside of business hours are still available upon pre-scheduled request (Flex Link Only)
  • Drivers are not employed by United Way; they are local community members employed by Lyft

NOTE: This program is funded entirely through donations and grants. While the program itself remains active, individual ride requests may be denied due to limited funding or misuse of services.

AGENCIES, ELIGIBILITY, RESTRICTIONS

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ELIGIBILITY

This free service is available to Cedar Valley residents or clients of a participating agency who need transportation for any of the following areas:

  • Health appointments
  • Employment opportunities
  • Food Procurement
  • Educational opportunities
  • Legal support
  • Housing
  • Economic stability

Eligible clients must be:

  • A Cedar Valley resident
  • 18+ years old or accompanied by an adult
  • Able to receive and operate external text messages

RESTRICTIONS

  • Rides must be scheduled AT LEAST one business day in advance of the needed ride and during operating business hours: Monday - Friday, 8:30 am - 4:00 pm
  • Clients cannot alter the route to do other business/errands without the consent of United Way.
  • This program is intentionally designed with low barriers to access and has no income requirements to participate. However, because it is funded entirely through donations and grants, rides are scheduled on a case-by-case basis and requests may be denied due to limited funding or misuse of the service.
  • The drivers are not employed by United Way. They are local community members in their own personal vehicles. While many are kind enough to help, drivers are NOT required to assist clients in any way. 

Rides may be canceled up to one hour before the scheduled trip without any cancellation fees. Cancellations can be made directly by the rider or by contacting United Way for assistance. While no charges are applied to the participating agency or client, late cancellations and no-shows do result in fees charged to United Way and reduce the total number of trips available through the grant.

Please note: missing more than three scheduled rides will result in a 30-day suspension from the program.

If you are not eligible, or have reached your ride limit, explore other available transportation services by clicking below:

Black Hawk County:

  • MET Transit
  • Go! Transportation

STEP 1: SCHEDULE YOUR RIDE

Call Cedar Valley United Way (or visit INSERT WEBSITE OR WEBFORM) or a participating agency to schedule your ride in advance.

STEP 2: LOOK FOR A TEXT FROM LYFT

Once your ride is scheduled, you'll receive a text message from Lyft at 60996.

Review the message to ensure all ride details are correct. Then, click the link next to "Request your ride at" to activate your ride, or call 1-800-836-5938 and follow the voice prompts. 

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Note: The 800 number provided is linked to the rider's cell phone number. To activate the ride via phone call, the rider must call from the number the ride was set up with.

STEP 3: REQUEST YOUR RIDE

After clicking the link, you'll be redirected to a Lyft page in your browser. 

Double-check the pickup location and destination for accuracy, then tap "Request now".

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STEP 4: CONFIRM YOUR RIDE

A pop-up will appear reminding you to only request your ride when you're ready to leave.

Tap "Request" only when you're ready to leave.

Note: We suggest requesting the ride 15 to 30 minutes prior to when you want to be at your destination.

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STEP 5: WAIT WHILE LYFT FINDS A DRIVER

Once you request the ride, you'll see a screen indicating that Lyft is searching for a nearby driver.

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STEP 6: RECEIVE DRIVER DETAILS

After a driver accepts your ride, your Lyft screen will refresh, and you'll receive another automated message with the:

  • Driver's name and phone number
  • Vehicle make, model and license plate
  • Estimated pickup time and map location

Note: Please be ready and waiting outside your designated pickup location when the driver arrives.

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TROUBLESHOOTING TIP

If you do not receive a text message, you may have Lyft or unknown senders blocked on your phone.

If this happens, United Way will be notified and will contact you to help you adjust your settings and resend the link.

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