Lyft brings New York City taxis onto its app through expanded Curb partnership

Image credit: Lyft

Lyft has expanded its partnership with taxi technology platform Curb into New York City, giving eligible passengers the option of being matched with licensed taxis when booking trips through the Lyft app.

The move brings the integration to the largest taxi market in the United States and follows earlier launches in Los Angeles and San Francisco. It also marks the first time Lyft users in New York City have been able to access licensed yellow taxis directly through the platform.

The integration is powered by Curb Flow, Curb’s open API that enables participating taxi fleets to receive trip requests from multiple mobility platforms through a single network. Thousands of licensed New York City taxis connected to Curb’s network are expected to become available for Lyft bookings, creating what the companies describe as their largest deployment of the partnership to date.

Eligible customers requesting Standard, Priority Pickup or Wait & Save journeys may now be matched with a nearby licensed taxi instead of a private hire vehicle. Riders who do not wish to be paired with a taxi can change that preference within the Lyft app.

Passengers using taxis through Lyft will continue to receive the same core app features, including upfront fares, driver and vehicle details, in-app messaging, location sharing, emergency assistance tools, trip check-ins, tipping and driver ratings.

Jeremy Bird, Executive Vice President of Global Growth at Lyft, said the expansion would connect New York City’s established taxi industry with millions of Lyft users while maintaining the experience customers expect from the platform.

Bird said: “Taxis are iconic within New York City, and we’re proud to bring the Lyft experience to cab riders and drivers here for the first time.

“This expansion connects a well-established community of professional drivers to millions of Lyft riders, making it easier for New Yorkers to get where they’re going.”

Curb Vice President of Mobile Business Unit Dorel Tamam described New York City as the centre of the US taxi industry and said bringing Lyft into the Curb Flow network represented a significant milestone for both drivers and passengers.

Tamam said: “New York City is the heart of the taxi industry in America, and this expansion with Lyft reflects our shared commitment to putting drivers first and giving riders a better experience

“Curb Flow was built to unify the fragmented ride-hailing experience, and bringing Lyft into that network in New York City is a major milestone for drivers and riders alike.”

The announcement reflects a wider strategy among ride-hailing platforms to integrate licensed taxi fleets alongside private hire services. For taxi operators, the approach provides access to additional digital demand without requiring passengers to download another app, while also helping ride-hailing companies expand vehicle availability during periods of high demand.

The partnership could also provide a useful reference point for other markets where traditional taxi services and app-based operators increasingly overlap. Similar integrations have become more common internationally as technology platforms seek to combine regulated taxi fleets with existing ride-hailing networks instead of treating the two sectors as direct competitors.