SERVICE DESIGN
Lyft
Seattle Driver Ops (2018)
OUTPUTS
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Driver Experience focus groups
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Contextual inquiry
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Field research
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Interactive map
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GeoJson
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UX Writing
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Usability testing
Background
In an effort to make mass transit more efficient, the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) implemented Bus & bike only hours through main arteries of the downtown area during peak hours of traffic. When I first discovered this pain point from drivers in our focus groups, 3rd Avenue was reserved for buses only during the busiest weekday commute times.
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6 – 9 AM, Monday through Friday.
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3 – 6:30 PM, Monday through Friday.
However, there wasn't anything in place to inform or prevent users on the Lyft platform from requesting rides during these hours.
Identifying the Problem
In early 2018, I co-facilitated several rounds of driver focus groups in order to learn more about drivers in our market and identify their pain points. One prevailing pain point for drivers in the Seattle market that I identified was the city regulated curb space on 3rd ave in downtown Seattle.
At the time, the city of Seattle had implemented Bus Only hours on 3rd ave. which limited not only curb space but motor vehicle access to nearly every other block of this main downtown thoroughfare during peak hours of traffic.
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Problem
Rideshare drivers and passengers need a way to easily find one another when accessible curb space is limited so that they can successfully complete a ride without risking traffic citations and lost earnings due to ride cancellations.
Research & Testing
In hopes of addressing this challenge, I went boots on the ground to walk the .8 mi stretch. Along the way, I jotted down notes and sketches on a paper map and photographed signage. I took the rough sketches of the landscape and created an interactive map detailing the exact restrictions block by block and the accessible curb space and pickup locations.
Initially, my plan was to prohibit passengers from requesting rides on these blocks during the Bus Only hours. However, I ultimately decided that this would create a poor passenger experience and drag down conversion rates. Instead, I decided to create a geofence outlining the affected area and plugged in suggested pick up locations that were accessible for passengers to be picked up. I validated the coordinates in Google Maps, built the geofence with GeoJson, and released my solution in beta for testing.
Iteration & Solution
Since a few months had passed since the original walk, I decided to walk the route a second time to confirm nothing had changed and confirm the accuracy of the designated pickup spots. A few tweaks to the pickup spots later, I released my solution to the Lyft masses. After a month, my solution showed some quantifiable improvements in the 3rd Ave. pickup experience. The average contact rate decreased by an estimated 26% and conversion rate rose to nearly 95%.
The solution I implemented solved the problem of drivers not being able to reach passengers and passengers contacting drivers trying to find them. It also drastically reduced ride cancellations by both passengers and drivers which not only improved passenger and driver experience but helped achieve business objectives as well.
Reflection
Through driving this project, I learned how to balance business objectives with regulatory compliance while creating a human-centered design solution that met the needs of segments of users -- Driver and Passenger.
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Happy passengers, happy drivers, happy business, happy city regulators. A win-win solution for all.
