SeniorTran has been giving residents of senior apartment complexes in Orlando a free ride for more than 25 years.
But now the nonprofit that operates the buses is dropping the service.
Seniors First -- which provides Meals on Wheels and a neighborhood lunch program in Orange County and other services in Seminole, Polk and Osceola counties -- is discontinuing SeniorTran.
Orlando’s downtown Community Redevelopment Agency has been paying for the service since April 1999. This summer, Seniors First informed the city it's dropping SeniorTran.
"Seniors First made the decision to not pursue a renewal in order to continue our focus on what has always been our core service of feeding seniors," according to an email from the nonprofit.
The email says that Seniors First notified the city's Downtown Development Board in July that "we would not be pursuing a renewal as their contracted vendor. ... We did, however, agree to continue to drive the routes until 10/31/25, so the DDB can find a partner to continue their SeniorTran program."
"We did, however, agree to continue to drive the routes until 10/31/25, so the DDB can find a partner to continue their SeniorTran program."Statement from Seniors First
The free bus service runs three days a week with stops at numerous senior apartment complexes.
Here's the list in the current year's contract: Magnolia Towers, Kinneret Apartments, Orlando Cloisters, Orlando Central Towers, Baptist Terrace, Hillcrest-Hampton House, William Boothe Towers, Westminster Towers, Lucerne Towers, Orlando Lutheran Towers, Jackson Court and Carver Park.
The hourlong routes stop at several stores -- like Publix, Walgreens and Target -- and the Orlando Public Library.
For the fiscal year that ends Tuesday, the CRA agreed to pay $66,423 for the bus service.
SeniorTran was set to shut down on Wednesday. But the CRA is paying about 5,300 to extend the contract with Seniors First until the end of October.
