With Bike-Share Purchase, Lyft Aims to Be 'Amazon of Transportation'
*By Conor White*
Lyft's acquisition of bike-sharing company Motivate is the latest example of the Amazon-ization of the transportation industry, says Curbed senior reporter Patrick Sisson. And it might be just the beginning.
"When you see the rise of bike-share, dockless bike-shares, and the sort of frenzy over dockless electric scooters, people are really seeing transportation change," said Sisson. "I think Lyft really wants to be on top of this."
Motivate is the United States' largest bike-share operator, running Citi Bike in New York, Blue Bikes in Boston, Biketown in Portland, Ore., and others. While terms weren't disclosed, Lyft reportedly paid $250 million for the company.
The deal comes after rival Uber acquired electric bike-sharing start-up Jump for an estimated $200 million in April.
Both purchases are an indication that these companies want to capitalize on the growing market for short-distance travel. According to the [2017 National Household Travel Survey](https://nhts.ornl.gov/), 35% of trips Americans take are under two miles, and Sisson said Lyft wants to be the go-to for trips "anywhere, anytime."
"Lyft sees this as part of the future," he said, "to not just provide ride-hailing rides.
"They're trying to give you an option and make sure it's the only app you're looking for when you're trying to get around the city."
For the full segment, [click here.](https://cheddar.com/videos/lyft-enters-bike-sharing-lane)
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