SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. — Seminole County is considering changes to its LYNX service to cut down on costs.

What You Need To Know

  • Some Seminole County leaders say ridership is not keeping up with costs for LYNX

  • Commissioners are looking at microtransit as an alternative to LYNX

  • LYNX offers microtransit with NeighborLink

  • Seminole County to discuss LYNX at Nov. 12 meeting

“We would be better off buying everyone in Seminole County that rides LYNX a Vespa and letting them just get around town. It would cost us less money,” Seminole County Commissioner Amy Lockhart said.

Seminole County needs to change how they address public transit, she said.

“A lot of empty buses,” Lockhart said. “We have a route — that when you do the math — has .85 people riding it, but we’re running 40-foot gigantic buses, empty, essentially empty, and that’s not good for the checking account. It’s not good for the environment. It’s not good for traffic.”

Seminole County is spending $17 million for LYNX services in fiscal year 2025.

According to Seminole County spokeswoman Andy Wontor, LYNX provided the county ridership numbers of 2.5 million riders for fiscal year 2023, but some officials in the county said they are skeptical after reviewing those numbers.

“This number seems high based upon quarterly reports we have reviewed, and we were told that it is difficult to break out Seminole-specific riders on routes that cross the line into Orange County,” Wontor said. “This 2.5 million figure may reflect the total riders for all routes that have at least one stop in Seminole County, and many of those riders may not actually get on or off in Seminole.”

However, Valerie Pickett of Sanford uses LYNX daily.

She said more people would use LYNX in Seminole County if routes and hours were expanded. But she said the opposite is happening.

“Now they cut it because not as many people ride the bus,” Pickett said.

Lockhart is pushing for Seminole County to consider alternatives to LYNX to save money.

“We’re talking about microtransit and winnowing down our fixed route in Seminole County," Lockhart said. "We think, at minimum, we will save about $2 million a year, and we will improve service drastically.”

Microtransit is like rideshare services Uber and Lyft, providing on-demand rides to passengers.

Volusia County has VoRide service, with which passengers can request a ride within a specific area.

LYNX has its own microtransit service called NeighborLink.

Pickett uses NeighborLink often to get around.

“It’s actually easier than the city bus, and you don’t have to wait as long,” she said. “You can even call the number that they have on the bus, and you can reserve your spot: ‘Hey, can you pick me up? I have a doctor’s appointment at 2 o’clock.’ Boom, they’re ready, and they are always on time.”

Pickett supports more microtransit if Seminole County goes that route.

A LYNX spokesperson told Spectrum News the cpmpany wouldn’t comment on Seminole County’s plans just yet.

Seminole, along with Orange and Osceola counties, have a contract for bus services with LYNX.

Seminole County commissioners will discuss alternatives to LYNX at their meeting Tuesday, Nov. 12, at 9:30 a.m.