Welcome to the USC Lyft Rides program. If you have not yet received an invitation for the program, and you are a current USC student, faculty, or staff member, please fill out this form.
Feedback regarding this program can always be submitted to us at auxtrans@usc.edu, or to Lyft directly by submitting a ticket to Lyft Business support.
General Program Reminders:
- Hours of operation are:
- At UPC: 6:00pm – 2:00am, seven days a week (*On home football game days, the program begins 5 hours after scheduled kickoff.)
- At HSC: 5:00pm – 2:00am, Monday-Friday only
- The program runs on limited credits* that automatically renew every month; USC does NOT pay for cancellations fees, tips, PrimeTime upcharges, rides created using the “schedule” feature of the app, or added stops. If your ride starts and ends within the appropriate campus geofence, and in all other ways qualifies for the program, it will say “FREE” in the fare quote box.
- Please do not share your invite with anyone! Invites are unique and once they are activated, they will not work again.
- The UPC program covers rides within the area east of Normandie Ave, south of Washington Blvd, west of Main St, and north of Martin Luther King Blvd. If you enter or exit the Lyft vehicle outside of this USC geofence, the app will automatically charge you for your ride. Make sure you enter and exit the vehicle within the USC geofence.
- Similarly, rides are covered within the geofence surrounding each campus. Rides between campuses are not covered.
- Free ride hours may change due to holidays, home football games, etc. On these days, we will update the service hours on this page and in the promo section of the Lyft app.
- If you change your phone number, don’t create a new Lyft account. Instead, tap on ‘Settings’ and type in your new phone number, then ‘Save’. Visit Lyft support if you need assistance.
- You are solely responsible for compliance with Lyft Community Guidelines and Terms of Service. Failure to comply to their guidelines and terms of service may result in deactivation from the Lyft Platform. If one or more are violated, you will be given notice of the potential or actual deactivation, and an opportunity to attempt to resolve the issue prior to Lyft permanently deactivating your account. All disputes and claims shall be communicated and resolved directly between you and Lyft.
How exactly does it work?
- Current USC students, faculty and staff have access to free rides provided by Lyft. The rides must be within either the UPC or HSC geofence and be requested within a qualifying time frame. Rides that begin or end outside of the geofence at any time are not be covered, regardless of the address you entered when you requested the ride. Rides with added stops are also not covered.
- You must choose Shared as your ride option. USC does not cover rides using the scheduling system or priority pick ups. USC does not cover LUX rides.
- The UPC program operates from 6:00pm – 2:00am, daily. During these hours, you can take a free Lyft Shared ride inside the USC Lyft Rides Program boundary.
- The HSC program operates from 5:00pm – 2:00am, Monday through Friday only. The HSC program enables you to receive free rides within the boundary, and to/from HSC and Union Station. If you need access the the HSC program, please click here.
- If you also happen to have a Lyft Business account, make sure you take your ride in PERSONAL mode, indicated near the payment method on the request screen.
- If you need ADA accommodations for a non-collapsible or motorized wheelchair, please refer to this instructional page for the Lyft’s WAV Rides program.
*Maximum monthly benefit is $1,000.
How do I confirm that my ride is free?
- It will say ‘USC Lyft Rides’ or ‘HSC USC Rides’ in the “Payment” section of the Lyft app.
- The quote fare box will say FREE after you enter your pick-up and drop-off locations.
- You will get a $0.00 receipt after your ride is completed.
UPC Lyft Drop-off/Pick-Up Zones:
Approved on-campus rideshare drop-off/pick-up zones 6:00am – 8:00pm
- Parkside Apartments
- Uytengsu Aquatics Center
- Kennedy Field
- Lot L
- Lot V
- Lot M
- TRF Research
- EVK
- USC Hotel
- Watt Way
Approved McCarthy/Fig rideshare zones 8:00pm – 6:00am:
- EVK (inside McCarthy Way Entrance)
- USC Hotel
Approved University Village rideshare zones:
- Cardinal Gardens Apartments, near Metro stop at McClintock
- Hebrew Union College, on 32nd Street
Additional Safety tips when using Lyft
- VERIFY YOUR DRIVER AND CAR: Once you have requested a ride through the Lyft app, you can view the driver’s photo, license plate number, and the make, model and color of the car in the app. When your ride arrives, make sure the information in the app matches the arriving vehicle. Never take a ride you did not request, or get into a car that doesn’t match the details provided by the Lyft app.
- GO THE EXTRA MILE: Lyft’s Share Location feature allows you to invite friends to follow your trip in real-time. Too much effort? Call a friend and stay on the line while you’re in the car instead.
- DO NOT FEEL SAFE? If you do not feel safe getting into your assigned vehicle, you can cancel the ride. This will automatically incur a $5 cancellation fee, but Lyft has agreed to waive cancellation charges if requested through their customer service portal in the app and it is indicated that the ride was cancelled because you did not feel safe.
If you still have questions regarding the USC Lyft program, please contact us via email at auxtrans@usc.edu.