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Lyft (Officially) Arrives in NYC Tonight

 & Angela Moscaritolo Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

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Ride-sharing company Lyft on Friday announced it has reached an agreement with New York City's Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) and will launch in all five boroughs this evening.

"We've finalized an agreement to offer immediate access to our friendly, affordable rides through a TLC-licensed model," the company wrote in a blog post.

The service will be available in NYC starting at 7 p.m. on Friday night. The company will offer rides in "all corners" of the city — from Manhattan all the way to Staten Island — starting with a limited beta launch. A full rollout is planned for the coming weeks.

"This agreement is the first big step in finding a home for Lyft's peer-to-peer model in New York," Lyft wrote. "Community-powered transportation — neighbors driving neighbors in their personal cars — ensures broader access to more affordable rides in places with limited transit options, like the outer boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens."

Lyft said it would continue to work with the TLC on new rules for peer-to-peer transportation in New York. As part of its agreement with the city, Lyft will pause operations in Buffalo and Rochester by Aug. 1 while it works with the Attorney General's office to "align New York State's insurance laws and regulations with emerging technologies of the 21st century."

"Now that we've outlined a path forward with state leaders, we will work together to make peer-to-peer policy progress as we have in numerous other cities and states," the company said.

Lyft earlier this month delayed its NYC launch to comply with the city's taxi and limousine regulations. Before that, the company was planning to launch in the outer boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens without the official go-ahead from the TLC. But without having their cars licensed by the TLC, drivers would have risked having their cars seized and getting hit with fines for operating as illegal cabbies.

For the uninitiated, Lyft recruits members of the community who wish to make extra money by offering rides in their own cars. Lyft said that every driver has undergone a screening process, which includes "a strict background check, vehicle inspection and $1,000,000 insurance that provides more than three times the $300,000 minimum for taxis."

The NYC launch comes after Lyft in April expanded to 24 new markets throughout the U.S. and lowered its prices. The expansion brought the startup's total number of markets to 60, beating out rival Uber.

About Our Expert

Angela Moscaritolo

Angela Moscaritolo

Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

My Experience

I'm PCMag's managing editor for consumer electronics, overseeing an experienced team of analysts covering smart home, home entertainment, wearables, fitness and health tech, and various other product categories. I have been with PCMag for more than 10 years, and in that time have written more than 6,000 articles and reviews for the site. I previously served as an analyst focused on smart home and wearable devices, and before that I was a reporter covering consumer tech news. I'm also a yoga instructor, and have been actively teaching group and private classes for nearly a decade. 

Prior to joining PCMag, I was a reporter for SC Magazine, focusing on hackers and computer security. I earned a BS in journalism from West Virginia University, and started my career writing for newspapers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

The Technology I Use

My little Florida beach bungalow is brimming with smart home tech. I have a smart speaker or display in every room, allowing me to control other connected devices by voice. The Nest Hub on my bedside table lets me set wake-up alarms, control my smart light bulbs, and set the temperature on my smart thermostat. I use the Amazon Echo Show 8 on my kitchen counter to browse recipes, reorder protein powder, check the weather, and watch the news while I do dishes. 

Because I suffer from allergies, air purifiers are essential. My favorite model is the Dyson Purifier Cool TP07, which doubles as a fan and continuously sends indoor pollution data to its companion mobile app. 

My pitbull Bradley sheds, so a good robot vacuum is a must. I currently use a premium Ecovacs Deebot that can both vacuum and mop, empty its own dustbin, and wash its own mop cloth. 

For fitness, I like to mix up my routine with cycling, indoor rowing, running, and strength training in addition to yoga. I take classes on the Tonal 2 smart strength training machine, I row indoors on an Aviron machine, and track my beach runs with an Apple Watch while listening to music on my Apple AirPods Pro. On the weekends, I love riding e-bikes like the rugged, beach-friendly Aventon Aventure for fun and fitness.

My job involves a lot of virtual meetings, so a quality webcam, microphone, and ring light are important. I use the Jabra PanaCast 20 webcam, the Elgato Wave: 3 microphone, and a Yesker tripod ring light. 

As for my preferred phone platform, I'm an iPhone person, but I've also extensively used Android for product testing.

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