Lyft To Offer Discounted Rides To Grocery Stores For East Clevelanders

A pilot program aiming to address the food instability and access in East Cleveland is offering discounted rides to and from nearby grocery stores this holiday season.

The partnership between Lyft and the Northeast Ohio Alliance for Hope (NOAH) starts Dec. 1.

NOAH has been working with Cuyahoga County and East Cleveland officials to discuss food insecurity for the past few years, said Executive Director Trevelle Harp, culminating with a presentation on government policies such as redlining and investment practices.

Such policies have an impact on health, including life expectancy and food availability, Harp said.

“It is not so much about how safe a community is, it’s about their access to healthy foods,” he said.

Ultimately, NOAH would like to bring a grocery store to East Cleveland to eliminate the food desert, Harp said. But in the short term, the partnership with Lyft will provide residents an option to access fresh food.

The program will provide 100 families with five discounted round trips to nearby grocery stores. Residents would get a $2.50 flat-rate ride to a participating store.

The discounted rates are available through December, said Lyft General Manager for Columbus and Southern Ohio Demetrius Thomas.

"Going to the grocery store, having access one day a week, people tend to load up on groceries and plan their week, so that is the thought process behind providing ten rides," he said.

Thomas says East Cleveland was chosen because it's considered a food desert.

“We understand that this may not be the solution, but we think it’s a good option and we want to have the potential to grow it,” he said.

The trip and participation data collected in East Cleveland and other pilot program cities will help Lyft decide whether to expand its Grocery Access Program.