SANFORD, Fla. — A new way for residents to move around is coming to Seminole County. 

What You Need To Know

  • On Tuesday, the Board of County Commissioners voted unanimously to award a contract to Freebee – a microtransit service out of South Florida

  • The plan is to start with a fleet of 35 vehicles that will work on-demand placed around the county in different zones

  • Freebee will cost the county approximately $5 Million annually plus a fee to set up services - services will kick off in October

  • In terms of fares – commissioners will host a work session in the summer with Freebee and the community where they will determine how much it will cost riders to use it

On Tuesday, the Board of County Commissioners voted unanimously to award a contract to Freebee – a microtransit service out of South Florida. 

It will work as an on-demand service similar to Uber or Lyft. 

“Instead of thinking about a fixed route that a large bus rides on and you have to go wait at the bus stop for the bus to show up, you’ll be able to call your ride, which will come and pick you up within 30 minutes of the time that you call to go to the location that you need to go to,” District 4 commissioner Amy Lockhart said.

Lockhart said the plan is to start with a fleet of 35 vehicles that will work on-demand placed around the county in different zones.

Residents that currently use Lynx buses to get around say they are open to the initiative, like Braulio Boom, a transplant from Chicago.

As he sat at one of the Lynx bus stops in Sanford, he shared he likes the convenience of riding the bus and the benefits it offers in terms of affordability and the environment.

“I’ve always felt like to minimize traffic buses would be better. So, look, right now there’s a quadrillion cars passing by and traffic is crazy. One way to mitigate traffic is by having buses. More people ride the bus. It’s cheaper,” Boom said.

But on this day, he missed his bus, which meant he had to wait anywhere from 40 minutes to an hour for the next one to come. 

“It’s not the worst, but it could be better. It’s very inconsistent,” he said.

Officials hope the microtransit plan will help riders like Boom move around in a more effective way.

“It could be a good idea," Boom said. "I mean, the bus runs really infrequently, so, like, I missed my bus when I was walking here, and I’m like, okay, I got to wait another 40 minutes, half hour, and usually it’s pretty late.”

The county currently pays $17 million to Lynx annually to operate 11 Lynx fixed routes, two Lynx neighbor link zones and the para-transit services. 

After Tuesday’s decision, Lynx will continue to operate some buses, as well as para-transit services in the county, but some fixed routes will be eliminated. 

Freebee will cost the county approximately $5 million annually plus a fee to set up services. 

Lockhart said the goal is to have it running seven days a week. 

“We’re going to learn a lot and we’re going to hopefully craft the service to be as tailored to what Seminole County riders needs are as possible,” she said.

In terms of fares, commissioners will host a work session in the summer with Freebee and the community where they will determine how much it will cost riders to use it.

“There will be lots of options for offering discounts for riders based on whether it’s their income or maybe it’s even where they are going,” Lockhart said.

Boom said he will be open to trying Freebee. 

“Yes, I’m open to anything," he said. "I’ll try anything. Like I said, if it works, it works.”

Next week, county leaders will begin meeting weekly with Freebee to start planning the launch.

Freebee services are expected to kick off in October.