What to know about using Uber and Lyft this week in Phoenix

The Phoenix area is expecting one of its busiest weeks ever with not only Super Bowl 57 but the PGA golf tournament in north Scottsdale, meaning both heavy traffic and unprecedented demand on rideshare companies like Uber and Lyft.

Those who need rides might have to wait longer than usual — and they may also pay much more than usual. That’s thanks to the dynamic pricing rideshare companies use to increase fares when there are more requests for rides than drivers available.

And if past Super Bowls are a guide, expect long waits and surge prices topping $100 to get a lift across town Sunday after the game at State Farm Stadium

in Glendale.

“Departing before the final whistle may help you to beat the surge of fans looking for riders when the game ends,” Uber said in a guide for riders.

Other host cities have experienced a rush on rideshares after the game in recent years.

Uber added a $20 fee for pick ups and $10 for drop offs near SoFi Stadium in California for last year’s Super Bowl, and will do the same this year for rides to and from State Farm Stadium, with the fee meant to encourage drivers to serve the area.

In 2020, the South Florida Sun Sentinel tracked Uber surge prices after the Super Bowl in Miami. The approximately 20-mile ride to Ft. Lauderdale cost $73 immediately after the game but soon surged to more than $100 and later that night rose to more than $200.

Lyft prices similarly shot up following the game but not as high as Uber, according to the news site. The trip to Ft. Lauderdale only went as high as $130 on that app.

In addition, many riders had to wait hours for a lift after the game.

In 2018, Minnesota Public Radio meticulously tracked Uber surge prices around the Super Bowl in Minneapolis, and found rates jumped to nearly four times the usual fares.

None of those cities had the massive WM Phoenix Open taking place across town the same week as the Super Bowl. While the PGA Tour event at TPC Scottsdale and the NFL championship game are in different cities, both are expected to pull in rideshare drivers, which could create longer waits

throughout the city.

The waits are expected to last through Monday morning when many travelers will head to the airport. Lyft and Uber recommend requesting those airport rides four hours before scheduled flights depart to ensure people make it on time.

Super Bowl creates ‘one-of-a-kind challenges’

Uber says that surge prices are meant to encourage drivers to serve a particularly busy area while simultaneously encouraging riders to delay their trip until prices subside, all in the name of “rebalancing” supply and demand.

Uber spokesman Harry Hartfield said the company is working with event planners to try to ensure everything runs smoothly across the Phoenix area this week. But that’s no guarantee.

“The Super Bowl presents one-of-akind challenges, and we’re working with the city of Phoenix and the NFL to help forecast demand and identify ways to improve the stadium’s rideshare operation,” Hartfield said. “We’re also rolling out promotions for drivers to increase earnings and help meet the demand, but fans may encounter higher wait times and prices, and we’d encourage people to consider transportation options and plan accordingly.”

Even though there are plenty of rideshare drivers next door in California, it’s not as simple as encouraging them to head to Arizona for the weekend to earn some extra money, he said.

That’s because with different state requirements, those drivers would need to complete the required Arizona background and motor vehicle check to work here.

“We’ve been working to try and bring more drivers onto the platform over the last few months and we have seen a notable increase in drivers, but we still expect surge and wait times to be elevated this week and weekend,” he said.

Lyft also has prepared for heavy traffic this week, though that company isn’t charging any additional fees for trips to and from the game like Uber.

Both Uber and Lyft recommend entering the name “State Farm Stadium” for rides to and from the game. The designated drop off/pickup spot at the game is the “Black Lot” on Cardinals Way south of the stadium.

Lyft recommends entering “TPC Scottsdale” into the app for rides to and from the Phoenix Open, and entering “Birds Nest” for rides to and from concerts at the golf tournament.

Arizona also has ride service from Waymo, which uses autonomous vehicles to serve a large area in the East Valley and central Phoenix. While Waymo serves Sky Harbor International Airport, both TPC Scottsdale and State Farm Stadium are out of its service areas.