“In Seminole County, we should just buy everyone who rides a LYNX a Vespa and let them use it to get around town.” Agent Amy Lockhart of Seminole County said, “It would save us money.”
“Senole County needs to change how they handle public transportation,” she said.
“A bunch of busses that are empty,” Lockhart said. “Our route has, if you do the math.
There are 85 people taking it, but our 40-foot-long, huge buses are mostly empty, and that is bad for the bank account. It hurts the earth. People should not drive that way.
In fiscal year 2025, Seminole County will spend $17 million on LYNX services.
Seminole County spokeswoman Andy Wontor said that LYNX gave the county passenger numbers of 2.5 million for fiscal year 2023, but some county officials said they are not sure about those numbers after looking at them.
Wontor said, “This number seems high based on the quarterly reports we have looked at, and we were told that it is hard to separate Seminole riders on routes that cross the line into Orange County.”
“This 2.5 million number may be the total number of riders for all routes with at least one stop in Seminole County. Many of those riders may not get on or off in Seminole County.”
On the other hand, Valerie Pickett from Sanford uses LYNX every day.
She said that LYNX would be used by more people in Seminole County if lines and hours were made longer. But she said the opposite is true.
Pickett said, “They cut it now because fewer people take the bus.”
Lockhart wants Seminole County to save money by looking at other options besides LYNX.
“Our fixed route in Seminole County is being narrowed down and micro transit is being talked about,” Lockhart said. “We believe that we will save at least $2 million a year and dramatically improve service.”
Micro transit is like Uber and Lyft in that it lets people request rides whenever they want.
Vo Ride is a service in Volusia County that lets people request rides within a certain area. Neighbor Link is the name of LYNX’s own limited-run bus service.
Pickett gets around a lot with Neighbor Link.
“It is nicer and you do not have to wait as long than the city bus,” she said. “Hello, can you pick me up?’
You can even call the number that is on the bus to reserve your spot.” I have a meeting with the doctor at 2:00. “Boom, they are ready, and they are always on time.”
Pickett wants Seminole County to add more micro transit if that is what they decide to do.
A LYNX representative told Spectrum News that the company would not yet speak on Seminole County’s plans.
Orange, Osceola, and Seminole counties all have deals with LYNX for bus service.
At their meeting on Tuesday, November 12, at 9:30 a.m., Seminole County officials will talk about alternatives to LYNX.