Lyft Partnership

Need a Ride? 

Does lack of transportation keep you from getting to your child’s medical appointments?

Do you live in Allegheny County without access to a car or a bus line?

Do you need transportation to your child’s primary care or outpatient appointment?

If you answered “yes” to the above questions, you may be eligible for Lyft rides to your UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh appointments.

UPMC Children's families who live in Allegheny County can receive free round-trip rides to their medical appointments at UPMC Children's Hospital's main campus in Lawrenceville, select outreach locations, and Primary Care locations of Oakland and Turtle Creek, thanks to a partnership among UPMC Children’s Hospital, Lyft, and the nonprofit 2-1-1.

To schedule a ride:

  1. Dial 2-1-1 on your phone (available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week) 
  2. When you reach the operator, press “9” (for human services) 
  3. Press “4” for transportation
  4. Ask to schedule a Lyft ride to your UPMC Children’s Hospital appointment 

More information:

  • Rides can be scheduled on-demand or maximum of 7 days in advance.
  • If you do not know exactly when your appointment will be over, 2-1-1 can schedule the ride as “flexible” and you can request the return ride whenever you are ready to be picked up. To do this, you must have a smart phone and an exact pick-up and drop-off location (this cannot be changed).
  • For service in a language other than English, press “8” as soon as you reach the operator.
    Para comunicarse en Español, presione “8” cuando el operador le conteste.

When you call 2-1-1, mention that you heard about the Lyft ride from UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh.

When scheduling your ride, you must have this information ready:

  • Address of pick-up
  • Address of drop-off
  • Date and time
  • Name of primary rider (anyone under 18 must be accompanied by an adult)
  • Number of riders
  • Phone number of primary rider
  • Reason for ride
  • Your permission for 2-1-1 to contact you via phone call at a later date (this will be to give feedback about the ride and the Lyft program)

If you have a change in schedule and need to cancel/change the ride time, PLEASE CALL 2-1-1 as soon as you know about the change. 

Car seat requirements

Lyft drivers do not provide car seats. If your child is required to be in a car seat while riding in a vehicle, you must have your own car seat. If you need help finding a car seat, contact the PA Traffic Injury Prevention Project at 1-800-227-2358 or visit their website.

Staff with questions about this service can email Abigail Carpenter, program manager for Clinical-Community Connections.

2-1-1 is not able to control availability of drivers. Some areas may not have rides available. In this case, 2-1-1 may be able to connect you to other transportation resources. 

Lyft has implemented extra health safety precautions to help protect riders and drivers from COVID-19. Lyft is working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to inform their health safety policies.