Ride-share service Uber may have new competition in the Iowa City market.

Lyft, a transportation network company that was founded in 2012 by Logan Green and John Zimmer, announced Feb. 23 that it will expand its operations to 54 U.S cities, according to an article on venturebeat.com.

In addition to Iowa City, Ames, Cedar Rapids, Davenport, Des Moines, Sioux City, and Waterloo will be affected by Lyft’s expansion.

However, according to a Des Moines Register article about the company, its arrival in Iowa may be delayed because it still has some hoops to jump through.

Andrea Henry, an Iowa Department of Transportation spokeswoman who was cited in the article, said that Lyft cannot provide service in the state of Iowa until the company’s registration has been completed.

“We have had contact with Lyft, and it is working to get its registration and necessary paperwork together for submittal,” Henry said in the article.

The Des Moines Register stated that Lyft is working with the DOT to provide the documents needed to operate in Iowa.

The article in venturebeat.com also noted that since the beginning this year, Lyft has expanded its operations to 94 cities.

According to Lyft’s website, “wherever you’re headed in the Iowa City area, count on Lyft for rides in minutes. The Lyft app matches you with friendly local drivers at the tap of a button. Just request and go. After the ride, simply pay through your phone.”

In the venturebeat.com article, Ken Yeung quoted Jamie Raczka, the head of early stage markets for Lyft, about the service’s expansion.

“In just the first two months of 2017, we’ve introduced Lyft to nearly 100 new cities, thanks in large part to today’s launch. We look forward to continuing this rapid momentum, bringing Lyft’s safe, affordable rides to even more cities this year,” Raczka said in the article.

​— by Charles Peckman​