Ridesharing is like a carpool. There are people all over Salt Lake and up the I-15 that would benefit from these services. Lyft is just making it more efficient using an app. The end goal of this petition is to have apps like this be recognized for exactly what it is and that the local government and Lyft can come together with an agreement. The platform is no different than you going on to Facebook and asking a friend for a ride. We are here to support the community, not just to make money. This is directly from the Lyft website -

"Lyft does not provide transportation services, and Lyft is not a transportation carrier. It is up to the driver or vehicle operator to decide whether or not to offer a ride to a rider contacted through the Lyft platform, and it is up the rider to decide whether or not to accept a ride from any driver contacted through the Lyft platform. Any decision by a user to offer or accept transportation once such user is matched through the Lyft platform is a decision made in such user’s sole discretion. Lyft offers information and a method to connect drivers and riders with each other, but does not and does not intend to provide transportation services or act in any manner as a transportation carrier, and has no responsibility or liability for any transportation services **voluntarily provided** to any rider by any driver using the Lyft platform."

Please recognize that we are a sharing community of people that do not require payment like a taxi company or similar affiliations of commercial transportations services. We volunteer for this as drivers. As riders we have the option to donate an amount.

We, drivers, are here to potentially assist riders as if a friend needed a ride home from a party rather than driving drunk. We can help if someone runs out of gas, with their family in the car. We could assist with obtaining gas to get them safely on their way. At the end of the ride, there is an option to give a donation or to tip to the driver.

I am not speaking in behalf of Lyft, INC. only for myself, a driver of Lyft in Salt Lake City. I would like to come to some term of agreement as well between both Lyft and the three departments of Salt Lake.

http://www.lyft.com/terms

http://www.lyft.com/stories

http://www.pciaa.net/LegTrack/web/NAIIPublications.nsf/lookupwebcontent/0E645A6DC83C303F86257CC80079687?opendocument- This link is about how insurance companies are learning to assist with changing to cooperate with rideshares.

About me: I am a Lyft driver in Utah but have lived all over the country all my life. I was in the Navy for 8 years as a Hospital Corpsman. I am a mother, wife, full time student, combat vet, and friend to many in the community. After recently being laid off from my job, I came across this ad on Facebook and applied. After investigating Lyft and the motivation behind the company, I signed up. I went through a background check, a DMV check, and a thorough inspection on my vehicle, I was approved to drive.

This hits home for me because in the military we took care of each other and made sure we always had a DD. Already, Lyft has been beneficial here in Utah, to prevent drunk driving and assist with the local economy and assisting with unemployment.

For passengers and riders opinions, just read the comments below for their own stories.