Overview
Vanderbilt has a preferred partnership with Lyft to offer a flexible transportation option for faculty, staff, and students using ridehail services while conducting official university business. This framework allows the utilization of centralized billing and ensures sponsored travel has parameters guaranteeing a high level of safety and reduced risk while using these services.
Departments can now establish ride parameters for programmatic transportation needs through the Lyft dashboard. Examples of where a department may utilize Lyft for university-sponsored trips:
- Student programs
- Event transportation
- Backup rides when other options are unavailable
Program leaders must attend a training session hosted by VU staff about the Lyft dashboard and ensure compliance with university policies before utilizing the dashboard. Lyft now offers Lyft Pass which will help you tailor all or a portion of the cost of rides and control the usage and cost of the program.
The Lyft Ridehail Partnership is a collaboration of the following university offices:
- Transportation and Mobility Office (MoveVU)
- Purchasing and Payment Services
- Office of General Counsel
- Risk and Insurance Management
- Public Safety (Transportation & Parking Services)
- Information Technology
- Dean of Students
- Office of Student Care Coordination
Lyft pass codes for one-off events or non-recurring rides: A unique code to distribute to your participants for rides through their Lyft account. The codes have a set location, time, max redemptions, or dollar value.
Lyft credits for rides that occur regularly: Add funds to your participant’s Lyft account. Department provides a list of eligible riders to Lyft who will receive Lyft credits. This way a code does not have to be generated and sent out for every use. Credits can be restricted by date, time, and location. Eligible participants sign up using their @vanderbilt.edu email. Credits are typically used for people needing to get to a location or specific area several times a week or monthly.
For VU community members or guests who don’t have the Lyft app or for white glove service: Secures and pays for your participant’s ride. Does not require a participant’s Lyft account.
The Lyft dashboard can be used by programs to book trips on a rider’s behalf. The Concierge platform offers a user-friendly booking interface that is compatible with any internet-enabled device. Offline billing is required and rides may include an additional fee that is dispatched through the Lyft dashboard.
Concierge rides are often used for international visitors, to send undergraduate students to/from off-campus doctor's appointments, transporting visiting speakers, etc.
For more information and training, please email the Office of Transportation and Mobility at MoveVU_Ridehail@vanderbilt.edu.
Frequently Asked Questions
Key Information
Vanderbilt University programs and schools that conduct University-sponsored business with Lyft under the General Services Agreement executed on January 20, 2021 must adhere to the following guidelines. The information is provided in training materials and instructions for program leaders to ensure compliance with university policies while utilizing the Lyft Business Portal Dashboard.
- Lyft program administrators must review the required training before utilizing the Lyft dashboard and creating Lyft passes or concierge rides.
- All riders must sign or acknowledge Vanderbilt’s Wavier and Release Form and review the Ridehail Safety Checklist.
- No rides for minors (under 18 years old), without a parent, guardian or caregiver also riding. There are no exceptions to this policy.
Must be signed/acknowledged by each participant
A completed Waiver and Release Form must be completed by each rider within your sponsored program.
- Acknowledges how to remove all information from Lyft platform
- Informs users of sharing of personally identifiable information
- Requires minors (under 18) cannot secure Lyft rides (No Concierge Rides for Minors)
- Drivers are prohibited from accepting riders under 18 without a parent or guardian
- Violation of this requirement is a material breach of contract
Each rider receiving Lyft rides sponsored by your program must have this Waiver and Release Form on file. Completed waivers and rider information must be kept on file with your sponsored program.
It is the VU program’s or school’s responsibility to ensure that riders have completed the Waiver and Release Form, reviewed the Ridehail Safety Checklist, and setup a personal Lyft account prior to using Lyft passes. Riders using concierge rides do not require a personal Lyft account. All riders must be 18 or older to ride without a parent or guardian.
Student Affairs has created the RSO Lyft Code Request Form to manage all Lyft code requests for registered student organizations (RSOs). Student leaders can request Lyft codes for their organization members to travel to organizational events that occur off campus.
The RSO Lyft Code Request Form can be found on the Student Affairs Anchor Link page. Once the request is processed and approved, Lyft codes will be posted in the comments of the approved form submission in Anchor Link.
Students wishing to use Lyft passes for rides with their RSO must fill out the Waiver and Release in Anchorlink before using the codes.
For more information on requesting RSO Lyft codes, please visit the RSO Lyft Code Request Process webpage.
Training
The Vanderbilt Lyft Ridehail Partnership offers a flexible transportation option for faculty, staff, and students using ridehail services while conducting official university business.
Why change to preferred partner program?
- Transparency with ridehail expenses
- Ensure consistent insurance, risk and liability parameters
- Prompt payment of invoices
Departments can establish ride parameters for programmatic transportation needs through the Lyft Business Portal Dashboard. to create Lyft Passes, Credits and Concierge Rides.
Program Setup
- Assign a maximum of three program administrators
- Set up Purchase Order
- Create program in the Lyft Dashboard
Contact Information
Office of Transportation and Mobility
- Training and program set-up instructions: MoveVU_ridehail@vanderbilt.edu
- Miriam Leibowitz: miriam.leibowitz@vanderbilt.edu
Purchasing and Payment Services
- Sabrina Kronk: sabrina.kronk@vanderbilt.edu
- Questions about purchase order account balances and payments should be emailed to paymentservices@vanderbilt.edu.
Lyft
- University Partnerships: edu-ride-programs@lyft.com
- All ride-related inquiries and troubleshooting requests should be directed to Lyft Support.