Lyft’s new mountain friendly ‘Ski Rack’ ride program

Lyft launched a new ride type for passengers and drivers in the Lake Tahoe and Reno regions on Monday.

The on-demand transportation company added the Ski Rack ride option.

Ski Rack gives tourists and ski and snowboard enthusiasts a snow-prepped ride so they can leave their cars at home to avoid parking and enjoy apres-ski safely. Ski Rack vehicles will be equipped with ski racks or truck beds to hold up to four pairs of skis or two snowboards, according to a press release. Ski Rack vehicles will have four seats available like normal Lyft rides and just like with any other type of Lyft ride, you can share the cost with fellow passengers.

“We are excited to bring Ski Rack as a ride option to the Lake Tahoe and Reno regions,” David Kunst, Lyft Northern California market manager, said in a statement. “Our passengers can now focus on the slopes without having to worry about how they get there, and our drivers now have an extra earning opportunity during busy winter weekends.”

To request a Ski Rack ride, open the Lyft app and tap the car icon to open the ride selector and then select “Ski Rack,” just like you would when requesting a ride.

Ski Rack pricing will be the usual Lyft ride fare, with an additional cost of $8 for a vehicle with a ski rack. Drivers are responsible for properly installing the ski racks and passengers are responsible for ensuring all equipment is properly secured. With Ski Rack, the rider will be matched with the same type of vehicles you would receive when requesting a Lyft ride, meaning the vehicle could possibly not be four-wheel or all-wheel drive.

For Lyft drivers, this is an opportunity to put snow-ready vehicles to use and earn more fares as ski seasons pick up.

New and existing users can get $5 off their first Ski Rack ride with the code SKIRACKTAHOE.

According to Forbes, Lyft rides were up 120 percent from 2016 to 2017, totaling 375.5 million rides in the U.S. and Toronto.