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Your Guide to Ride Part 1: Ride-Sharing Services

If you know anything about Austin, then you know this –– it’s extremely hard to get around. Whether you’re dealing with traffic jams or parking problems, this city has it all. Thankfully, these ride-sharing apps are here to get you where you need to be, when you need to be there.

Ride Austin

Austin’s first official ride-sharing nonprofit, Ride Austin’s ultimate aim is to get riders to their destinations for the lowest possible price. This app was developed in 2016, and was specifically tailored to fit the ridesharing ordinances the City of Austin passed that same year. Ride Austin offers features beautifully tailored to fit user’s needs, whether it’s Direct Connect, which lets you pair with a driver you want, or Female Driver Mode, which lets female users choose a female driver if they feel more comfortable doing so. Finally, Ride Austin’s Round Up option lets users round their fare up to the nearest dollar and choose a local charity for it to be donated to.

Available on iPhone and Android

Uber

Though Uber has had its share of woes with Austin, it’s back and better than ever. Riding with this service now allows you to choose from five different options. There’s UberX, which is the original, low-fare Uber, as well as Select and LUX, for when you want to ride in style. For large groups, the company offers UberXL, and with WAV, you can order a wheelchair accessible vehicle. Finally, there’s Uber Pool, which offers the lowest fares by picking up other riders along your same route. The best part is, according to fare estimate tools, pooling with Uber is a bit cheaper than Lyft, so you can ride without putting a dent in your wallet.

Available for iPhone and Android

Lyft

Lyft, like Uber, offers users affordable rides anytime of the day or night, with up to six options for riders to choose from. There’s the original Lyft, which fits up to three people, or the Lyft XL, a supersized car that lets you ride with up to six members of your crew. If you’re feeling luxurious, you can order the Lux, and if you want a ride in a black car with a top driver, you can choose from the Lux Black or Lux Black XL. Finally, there’s Shared, which is perfect for carpooling, allowing you to split fares with riders heading your same way.

Available for iPhone and Android