As the year comes to an end, San Francisco-based ride-share platform Lyft is recognizing the popular destinations in cities across North America, including Ottawa, with its second annual “Lyfties” awards.
“It’s pretty exciting to be able to bestow a Lyftie on some of the businesses that are in the Ottawa area,” says Rob Woodbridge, the general manager for Lyft in Ottawa.
Awards are based on ride data collected on the platform, including how many times passengers are picked up and dropped off at various locations. This year the platform expanded its categories to include multimodal transportation within driver communities.
Awarding “uniquely Ottawa” locations this year, Lyft bestows 2019 Lyftie Awards to the following locations in Ottawa:
- Most Celebrated Venue: Lansdowne Park
- Top Transit Stop: Ottawa Station/VIA Rail
- Late Night Neighbourhood: ByWard Market
- Most Celebrated Restaurant/Bar: Heart & Crown
Winter destinations
Aside from curling up by a fire in your living room and hibernating, Woodbridge encourages Ottawa residents to call a Lyft and head to numerous seasonal activities and key areas to make the most of winter in the city.
“We’re seeing a lot of activity around Lansdowne Park because of all the restaurants, shops and great hockey that’s being played by the Ottawa 67’s, as well as their winter market and the lighting of the tree and some of the craft fairs happening,” Woodbridge says.
Ottawa Senators
Lyft is the official ride-share partner of the Ottawa Senators for the 2019-20 season, allowing fans to call a Lyft car to transport them to and from Senators games from a specific pickup and dropoff zone located southeast of Gate 1 on Frank Finnigan Way. When exiting the building post-game there are several Lyft signs to direct passengers.
“You won’t get cold, you won’t have to wait long and you won’t get stuck in the parking lot (waiting) to get your car out,” Woodbridge says.
As for himself? Woodbridge says he’s a “huge Ottawa Senators fan” and, when watching games at the Canadian Tire Centre, plans to take a Lyft to the ByWard Market and movie theatre at Lansdowne Park this winter.
