SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. — Seminole County Commissioners are expected to vote Tuesday to designate a Miami-based company as its transit system of the future, and replace many of its Lynx bus lines with an Uber-like system.
If approved, FreeBee, Inc. will launch a fleet of 35 to 55 vans that will be able to move people throughout the county at a low cost.
FreeBee’s plan is to divide the non-rural parts of the county into five distinct zones centered around its SunRail stations and a Lynx stop in Oviedo.
Passengers will be able to request rides through an app and move around within those zones. If they want to go further, they’ll be taken to the SunRail or Lynx station, where they’ll be able to hop onto the bus or train to a different zone and hail another ride.
The projected cost for this service will be $2 to $3 per trip, with discounts available to seniors, students and people with disabilities. Unlike Uber, which bills itself as a premium experience, FreeBee targets customers who need an inexpensive yet easy-to-use way to get around and does not do surge pricing.
Commissioners will also weigh a different system that will allow people to get rides anywhere within the service area, but that would cost more.
The money for the contract would come from the removal of most Lynx lines, months after commissioners criticized the service as being too Orange County-centric.
Lynx’s most used lines, as well as lines that connect Orange County to Seminole County or pass through a small portion of Seminole, would remain.
Commissioners believe FreeBee and its competitors will be able to reach many parts of the sprawling county Lynx doesn’t currently serve, boosting transit use throughout the county.
FreeBee is used throughout the Miami area as well as other parts of Florida, including downtown Kissimmee. City leaders there recently expanded the service after data showed an uptick in ridership last year.
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