Austin bank among early adopters of Lyft program to transport employees

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Ridesharing services using the latest mobile technology have quickly grown in popularity. They have also caught on with at least one unlikely Austin company that operates in a far more traditional sector — banking.

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Christopher Calnan

Staff Writer- Austin Business Journal

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Ridesharing services using the latest mobile technology have quickly grown in popularity. They've also caught on with at least one unlikely Austin company that operates in a far more traditional sector — banking.

Horizon Bank SSB is testing a service established in November by California-based Lyft Inc., a transportation networking company, or TNC. The test is being conducted during the holiday season to give workers alternative transportation when traveling to functions and parties, President James Dyess said.

"Running a company [requires] attracting quality talent," he said. "Anything you can do that's innovative and creative for your staff helps on all fronts."

About 48 of its 80 Austin-based employees have signed up for the Lyft for Work service that enables users to contact a driver using a smart phone and track the vehicle's location using a global positioning system — or GPS — to get a ride to and from work.

For Horizon Bank, the service is intended to provide convenience in addition to saving money that would typically be used for expensive downtown parking, Dyess said.

Horizon Bank has two offices in the Austin area and other Texas offices in Salado and Holland, with a total of 115 employees. In late 2009, Horizon relocated its headquarters from a 6,500-square-foot office in the downtown Scarborough Building to a 13,000-square-foot office across the street in One American Center. An expansion to South Austin is predicted next to house the surging number of bank workers rather than customers, Dyess said.

Lyft established the Lyft for Work program to complement its consumer service. But it doesn't provide frequent users and business customers any discount compared with consumers, spokeswoman Katie Dally said.

Christopher Calnan covers technology, finance and clean energy for the Austin Business Journal. Subscribe to the Energy Inc. newsletter