Lyft Opens Largest Driver Center to Date in San Diego
This past February, Lyft officially opened its 35,000 square-foot Driver Center at 1240 West Morena Boulevard in San Diego. The Bay Park facility, formerly Toys “R” Us, serves as a one-stop shop for thousands of Lyft drivers, providing them affordable and competitively-priced vehicle repairs, maintenance and other essential services, along with other driver support. This facility will provide 20 jobs – from vehicle service specialists to driver support and onboarding staff.
“We’re proud to open one of Lyft’s first Driver Centers in San Diego to further meet our drivers’ needs directly,” said Lyft Southern California General Manager Hao Meng. “We know that maintaining a vehicle can add up and our goal is to service drivers’ vehicles in a timely and affordable way so they can get back on the road.”
Car service and repair shops currently available weren’t created with rideshare vehicles in mind so Lyft created its Driver Centers to function like race car pit stops, as several technicians work together to quickly complete repair work, allowing drivers to get back on the road as soon as possible and earn an income.
Vehicle services offered at Lyft’s Driver Center includes maintenance and routine services such as conventional or synthetic oil change, tire rotation and replacement, brake pad replacement, wiper blade replacement, filter changes, spark plug replacement, battery replacement, and free diagnostic assessments.
While the cost of services may vary based on a vehicle’s make and model, Lyft is working to ensure pricing is below the market average. For example, a full synthetic oil change is priced at $49.99 for most vehicles.
The center also serves as a driver hub, providing drivers a comfortable place to relax in between rides, with access to bathrooms, Wi-Fi, coffee, lounge and workspaces and more. Drivers can connect in-person with Lyft community representatives for assistance, including vehicle inspections and app support.
Special to San Diego, the building features a mural by local artist Celeste Byers that colorfully illustrates Lyft vehicles and scooters in what Byers describes as her “interpretation of Lyft’s future of travel … throughout some of the City’s most iconic landmarks.”
Lyft’s Express Drive program will also operate out of the San Diego Driver Center, connecting Lyft drivers to rental vehicles with standard maintenance and insurance coverage through rental partner, Flexdrive. A rental fleet that includes 100 hybrid vehicles is available for Lyft drivers to rent as an alternative way to drive and earn.
According to Meng, this facility is designed like a racecar pit stop, allowing drivers to receive fast and focused service in order for them to get back on the road to assist Lyft customers. The Morena Street location is central to San Diego and close to the airport for convenient connections. In the future, collision auto body services are also expected to be offered.
The San Diego Driver Center is one of five facilities of its type in the United States. The Bayshore Driver Center in San Francisco opened in March 2019, followed by Phoenix, Austin and Denver.
Category: Business, feature, Local News
