Need a Lyft? Lyft is area’s first ride-sharing service

Need a Lyft? The Traverse City Ticker reports that the ride-sharing service Lyft has launched in northern Michigan:

…As with Uber, Lyft allows users to hail a ride through the service’s smartphone app. After plugging in their location and destination, users can request a ride, be matched with a Lyft driver in the vicinity, see an estimated time of arrival, and confirm and pay for their ride through the app. No cash is exchanged between driver and passenger (tipping is optional). Both parties are encouraged to rate each other at the completion of the ride through Lyft’s app. All drivers are subject to background checks and screened for criminal offenses and driving violations.

Lyft’s website and app confirm the company is active locally (Lyft representatives did not respond to requests for comment on the local launch). How soon Lyft will be able to offer instantaneous, round-the-clock service – as is available in larger markets like Detroit and Chicago – remains to be seen. Attempts by The Ticker over the past week to hail rides on the app produced mixed results: No drivers were listed as available Friday night or Saturday morning, but rides were instantly available on some weekdays, including both early morning and late afternoon Monday.

Read on for more. It remains to be seen how the service will play out locally, particularly in rides to and from Leelanau from Traverse City.