The Seminole County Board of Commissioners voted Tuesday to replace most of its LYNX fixed bus routes with a new rideshare program..
Freebee, a Miami Beach-based microtransit company, was one of three vendors competing for the contract. The company’s proposal to the county included 35 “sustainable” transit vehicles for $4.8 million a year, with a $100,000 initial setup fee.
The new services will not drive long, fixed routes, like LYNX buses, but instead allow customers to request rides on-demand, schedule their pickup times, as well as set their pickup and dropoff locations. Ideally, this will solve the “last mile” issue of public transit, in which riders are left walking upwards of a mile to their next point of connection.
Commissioner Amy Lockhart, who spearheaded the venture last year, said she’s happy with the county’s pick.
“I feel encouraged by all the support, but it was a team effort. We had the opportunity to do something that will benefit a lot of people, and I’m excited that we’re taking this step,” she said. “I’m very confident about the services this company offers and the changes it can bring to our communities.”
Switching to save
The county is set to pay LYNX at least $14 million for services in 2025, with an additional $3 million from the American Rescue Plan Act, federal dollars for post-COVID recovery, for 11 fixed routes and other services. Last year, those routes accounted for about 6,644 weekly riders and 2.1 million rides annually.
The county says these low ridership numbers don’t justify the expense.
County commissioners have been looking to reduce LYNX services and costs since June of last year, holding multiple meetings and public hearings to discuss revisions and alternatives.
Director of Budget Timothy Jecks and Assistant County Manager Kristian Swenson presented the prospective vendors’ final proposal. Changing to Freebee could mean tens of millions in savings.
“We don't exactly know the savings (...) but this was a slide that was provided: $9.8 million worth of cost cuts from the LYNX routes and the services that we were suggesting,” Jecks said.
According to the presentation, Freebee’s proposal could also raise ridership fare costs, meaning the price per trip to ride the vehicles might increase.
Currently, the county is not ready to disclose ridership fare information until it’s reviewed as part of a vetting process to ensure compliance with federal, state, and local guidelines, as well as to prevent competition with the private market.
Change is never easy
District 5 Commissioner Andria Herr, who also serves as vice-chair, said the county must ensure government grants can cover ridership fares to avoid a repeat of their current situation.
“I did ask that we talk about the highest fare available and still be eligible for funding through grants, so we have to know what the highest number is. Otherwise, we're not going to manage supply and demand, and this becomes the next LYNX,” she said. “The savings that we realize through to the future only work if we are disciplined about how we manage this.”
LYNX is the designated provider for the Americans with Disabilities Act and for Transportation Disadvantaged persons. The county will continue these federally-required services through LYNX. Jecks said any new services are meant to complement these, not replace them.
The county is also keeping its most popular LYNX fixed bus routes to make the transition process easier for the public. Commissioners proposed to remove all fixed routes except six, some of which might be reduced.
LYNX has suggested its own modifications, and talks between the two are ongoing.
Worried about riders who depend on buses, the county plans a transition period through the summer that includes adding signage to bus stops, information QR codes, online and social media announcements, press releases, and other outreach to educate the community. The new rideshare program will begin in October, and the removed LYNX services will be shut down entirely by January of 2026.
Chairman Jay Zembower said he expects this transition will have its challenges.
“Our sister counties are waiting with bated breath to see how this unfolds (...) but I would say, we all have to understand there's going to be some speed bumps. We're going to get some complaints, there's going to be some concerns. And how we handle that with our vendor is going to be paramount on how we're able to correct those issues,” he said.
Matt Friedman, Director of Marketing Communications at LYNX, said the company respects the county’s decision but needs to know more before making further comments.
“We still have not received the official decision from the county. We can't get ahead of this,” he said. “There are lots of issues that still need to be worked through, as the Commission brought up, but we will continue to work with Seminole County.”
Lillian Hernández Caraballo is a Report for America corps member.
