Choosing to hop in a car with others isn’t so different from ditching plastic straws — both are small changes that have a big impact on your city, and the planet on the whole. Last year, people who took Shared rides instead of Standard Lyft helped save 80 million miles from being driven, helping us soothe traffic congestion and reduce overall carbon emissions.

This is just one way the perks of shared rides extend beyond your wallet. When you share a ride, you also get to engage with your city in a whole new light, meeting people and seeing places that might not otherwise come your way. When you help fill all the seats in one car, the cost isn’t lower just for you — you’re doing your seatmates a favor, too. And your driver makes the same as if you’d taken a Standard Lyft! Cha-ching: that’s a win-win-win.

Any concerns you might have about shared rides probably aren’t as bad as you think. Not only are 4 out of 5 shared rides on time with pickups and drop-offs, they also average only 5 minutes longer when compared to a standard ride. The detours aren’t so out of the way after all!

Shared rides are great for weekends or after work, when you’re not in a hurry and would be happy to take a small detour to help save fuel and improve congestion in your city. If you haven’t tried a shared ride in awhile, give it a go and use our new in-ride rating system to let us know what you think. Your feedback contributes to continuous improvement and, ultimately, better city living for all. Happy riding!