This week, Central Florida Public Media is exploring the true costs of commuting in our region through our series Central Florida Seen and Heard: Costly Commute.
When it comes to providing public transportation, it can be expensive for municipalities. Recently, Seminole County announced it’s moving away from traditional buses in favor of a ridesharing door-to-door service also known as micro-transit.
County staff reviewed the Lynx regional transit service currently in place, took time to ride the bus, and evaluated it stop by stop. Their projections show that this new micro-transit will increase ridership, better serve vulnerable populations, and save at least $9 million a year in the process.
“It’s a mess”
When asked to describe Seminole County’s mass transit system right now, Commissioner Amy Lockhart responded, “It’s not a mass it’s a mess.” She continued, “From what I have heard from people who ride it, it is cumbersome, it is not terribly reliable, people use it because it's all they have available to them.”
Micro-transit explained
Micro-transit involves a system of passenger vans that can hold six people. It’s a door-to-door, on demand service that allows the user to reserve a ride through an app or call center rather than waiting for a ride at a bus stop. It sounds similar to a commercial rideshare company, but there are differences.
“They are not individual ride share entities. They are not independent business owners. They are a qualified transit agency,” Lockhart explained.
County funding currently used to pay for Lynx would be used to subsidize this new micro-transit service.
The plan does not eliminate Lynx buses. Some of the main routes on major roads like State Road 434, Semoran Boulevard, and U.S. 17-92 would stay in service.
Central Florida Public Media reached out to Lynx for comment about the modifications but did not hear back.
Projected benefits of micro-transit
Lockhart said a benefit of the micro-transit service is that it will reduce people’s commute time. “You won't have to find your way to a bus stop, wait at a bus stop, and then take hours to get where you need to go to only have to do the same thing in reverse,” she said.
The County's Department of Community Services saw the potential for Seminole County's micro-transit system to be beneficial to low-income and homeless populations.
Dynamic pricing
Seminole County micro-transit uses a less common approach to fares compared to a traditional public bus system. There could be discounts offered to those vulnerable populations.
In addition to offering discounts based on the rider, there is also a discount based on the destination. Being dropped off at a SunRail stop could reflect a reduced fare to encourage people to ride the commuter rail.
Commissioners are still evaluating their options and have not settled on a micro-transit company.
The plan includes a transition period of three months to overlap the new service with the existing system to give riders time to adapt and staff the opportunity to make improvements.
