New York City is a popular tourist destination, and most of those visitors don’t have a vehicle in the city, are confused with public transit, or aren’t comfortable driving themselves. Many residents don’t own their own automobiles either. This is why New York Uber driver-partners and Lyft drivers are in high demand. If you’re curious about driving in NYC, be sure to read these tips to maximize your earning potential.
NYC Driving Stats
- Driving for Lyft in NYC averages $21-$23 per hour1
- Driving Uber in NYC averages $15 to $20 per hour2
- NYC drivers average 8.3 years between insurance claims compared to the national average of 10 years3
- New Yorkers are 20.3% more likely to report a claim than the national average
- New York City ranks 143rd out of the 200 largest cities in the U.S. for best drivers in 2016, which is an increase from 151st in 2015 and 155th in 2014
- In February 2017, Lyft had about 16,000 cars in NYC and Uber had about 42,0004
- Uber dispatches almost 2 million trips per week in NYC
- Lyft dispatches almost 500,000 trips per week in NYC
- 9 out of 10 drivers for both Uber and Lyft said they preferred Lyft opposed to Uber5
NYC Driver and Vehicle Requirements for Lyft and Uber
There are some requirements for driving for Lyft and Uber, but they aren’t too difficult to meet. If your vehicle doesn’t meet the requirements, or you don’t want to put the miles on your vehicle, you can consider renting a vehicle. Read the requirements to drive Lyft NYC and drive with Uber NYC.
Lyft Driver Requirements NYC
Click Here to Apply to Become a Lyft Driver
Line, Lyft, Plus, Lux and Lux SUV are available in New York City. Below are some requirements for Lyft NYC drivers.
- FH1 insurance
- TLC inspection
- For-hire license
- Liability insurance
- 2005 or newer vehicle
- 4 doors
- 5-8 seats, including the driver’s
Read the full list of Lyft driver requirements.
Uber Driver-Partner Requirements NYC
Sign Up to Become an Uber Driver-Partner
UberPool, UberX, UberXL, SUV, WAV, UberX + Car Seat and UberBlack are all available in New York City. Below are some requirements for driving for Uber in NYC.
- 4 doors
- 2006 or newer
- Vehicle emissions inspection at an NYS DMV facility
- TLC insurance and plating
Read a full list of Uber requirements.
Best Places to Drive with Uber and Lyft in NYC
Below are some of the best places to drive Uber NYC and be a Lyft driver NYC. Be sure to look up when events are going on because you’ll want to be cruising the streets around those times.
- Airports: EWR, LGA and JFK
- Citi Field
- Yankee Stadium
- Madison Square Garden
- Barclays Center
Best Times to Drive
There are peak hours you’ll want to try to take advantage of because often you’ll make more money on trips because of an increase in demand. Below are the best times for Uber NYC driver and Lyft driver New York.
- Monday thru Friday: 6am – 9am and 6pm – midnight
- Locations: Manhattan Midtown, West/East Village, Upper East/West Side, Financial District, Williamsburg, Downtown Brooklyn, Park Slope
- Friday and Saturday: 10pm – 3am
- Locations: Manhattan Midtown, West/East Village, Williamsburg, Financial District, Upper East Side
- Sunday: 10am – 5pm
- Locations: Manhattan Midtown, West/East Village, Williamsburg, Financial District, Upper East/West Side, Downtown Brooklyn
Tips for NYC Uber and Lyft Drivers
If you’re thinking about driving for Uber, Lyft or both in New York City you may want to check out this video. This man has some tips for you on how you can make the most money and enjoy your time working.
Why Uber and Lyft Are Great
The unemployment rate for NYC in December 2016 was 4.4%. Whether you’re in between jobs or looking to drive long term with Uber or Lyft, you can make ends meet by driving regularly. With sign-on bonuses and referral programs, you can make extra money by telling your friends about it too.
Do you think it’s better to drive for Uber or Lyft in NYC?
Sources: [1] Glassdoor, [2] Glassdoor, [3] Allstate [4] Barrons [5] NYMag
What if ubers and lyfts eventually replace Taxis in NYC? Wouldn’t that be weird not to see the yellow taxis as they’re so iconic to the city?