Seminole County officials are unhappy with the high cost and high ridership, and are planning to start micro-transport services that cut most Links bus routes and send small vans to their homes and offices to shuttle riders across the county.
The plan leaves it to operate the heaviest used routes closest to the Orange County border, but cancels other routes that county officials often say they have almost empty buses.
According to details released at the county meeting this week, the Seminole will hire private companies by October 1st to provide door-to-door van services to most of the county.
Seminole commissioners have long blown up Orlando-based Links, which operates buses in Seminole, Orange and Osceola counties, but this year it will not cost $17 million.
However, some long-standing seminole link sliders believe that replacing many routes with door-to-door on-demand services might be efficient and reliable.
On a recent morning, Paul Pilkington was waiting to travel to the second bus at Links stop in Fern Park. He frequently uses Lynx for medical appointments, as he can’t afford to get a car to get on the bus from his home near Longwood to Orlando.
“Of course, I think it’s great. It could be great,” Pilkington said of the plan. “But I want to know how efficient it will be.
“Would you make these vans available when you need them? What if they don’t? What if they can’t get it? And then I’m stuck.”
Maria Dega Ortiz, who was waiting at the stop, agreed. She relies on the bus to go from her apartment in Alta Monte Springs until she cleans Orange work.
“I hope this van can pick me up every day. If not, what would I do?” asked Dega-Ortiz.
Commissioner Amy Lockhart said that if the county ends the Links route, it has not taken anyone out of transportation options.
“We’re replacing them with better service,” Lockhart said. “And it actually takes you where you want to go.”
County staff estimates that the population is around 485,000 seminoles and 3,500 to 4,200 people, from 485,000 each week, will ride Lynx.
According to staff, the 40-foot-long bus has only a handful of riders along many routes. Riders often have to venture over a mile to find convenient stops. After that, we waited outdoors for nearly an hour for the bus to pick up.
However, Lynx officials said these ridership estimates were low. Data for 2024 shows average weekday riderships of 6,644 million and 2.1 million riderships per year.
The agent will charge the Seminoles based on what the county requests.
Lynx spokesman Matt Friedman said the agency is aware of the Seminole’s complaints and is willing to work with county officials to improve services.
“We haven’t received any official items from them,” he said Wednesday about the Seminoles’ plans. “We understand their decisions, but we’ll work with them to come up with a transportation solution. There are still many questions we need to answer.”
Here’s how the new service works: For example, residents who want to go from home to medical facilities, work, Sun Rail Station or shopping districts can board via phone or app for a six-seater van to pick up.
The cost of a trip may vary depending on how far the passengers want to travel. Riders can receive discounts based on age, income level and disability. The van was able to pick up additional passengers along the way.
Lockhart said the door-to-door model is more ideal than the seminole bus system.
“The Lynx Fixed-Route model is very expensive and not designed for counties like ours,” she said. “We’re much wider.”
Commissioner Bob Dalari said microtransit services can fill pockets of seminoles that are not being served by Links. “Once you do this, there will be more riders.”
However, in sparsely populated rural areas that cover almost a third of the East Side, the service is not yet available. The Links currently do not stop in the counties east of Oviedo and in the Econlock Hatchee River.
The Seminoles will maintain the lynx route along parts of State Route 436, along with US expressways 441 and 17-92 near the Orange County border. These buses travel across the County Line every day and are used heavier than other routes.
“All routes we want to maintain are those that are being used,” said Darren Gray, the county manager.
According to the three companies’ proposals, the estimated costs of the service vary from $3.9 million to $13 million per year depending on the number of vehicles in service, the range of travel, the extent of travel to operate the van, and the cost.
The bid was received from Freebee, which operates in Kissimmee, surrounding Downtown and Osceola Regional Medical Center. Circuit Transit launched a Ride DTO shuttle service in downtown Orlando last year. and via a strategy to implement a microtransit system in Arlington, Texas.
The commissioner said it should run daily with a 30-minute wait on weekdays and 60-minute weekends.
But setting fares was a struggle for the commissioners. They don’t want them to be expensive, which makes them expensive for low-income residents and seniors who need it. But it’s too low, many residents abandon their cars for service and actually keep out residents who need it. County officials said the fares are likely to be the same speed as the current Links fares.
Commission chair Jay Zenbour said prices will develop “as this develops.”
The system’s funding could come from gas tax revenue, private sponsorships and vehicle advertising, according to the county. The estimated $9 million savings from reducing or eliminating fixed routes could be used to pay for the system, with the county applying for a $10 million state grant for public transport services development.
“We don’t have a new bus system,” Commissioner Constantine said. “We’re trying to have a better system.”
