Life for commuters could get pricier as Seminole County mulls Freebee costs

Brian Stevens’ bus is late. 

It’s a Monday morning at the Fern Park SuperStop in Seminole County, a collection of bus stops near U.S. 17-92 and State Road 436. This is where Stevens normally gets on the Link 103 bus north, before switching to the Link 434 route for the final leg of his daily commute. 

Stevens knows the LYNX bus service well – he spends five to six hours a day commuting from his home in Metro West in Orange County to his job in Longwood. Stevens said the bus is for everybody, regardless of economic status, and that he has a “decent job.”

Brian Stevens, wearing a green shirt, gets on a LYNX bus Monday morning. Two of the routes Stevens takes will be cut in January of 2026, as Seminole County moves from fixed bus services to on-demand “micro-transit.” The commission meets August 26 to set fares for residents. (Abe Aboraya, Oviedo Community News)

“I just use it because getting a car is not feasible right now, just because (of) the prices of everything else,” Stevens said. “So it’s just better for me to just save my money and just rightfully buy a car.”

Stevens’ commute could get more costly and, potentially, trickier in the next few months. Seminole County is moving forward with plans to eliminate all but the busiest fixed LYNX bus routes in the county, including two routes Stevens uses daily, starting in January of 2026. 

In May, the county chose Freebee as its “micro-transit” vendor; the service will officially be called Scout, powered by Freebee.The idea is that residents will be able to download the Ride Freebee app and, starting in October, book an Uber-like, on-demand ride that goes door-to-door, picking up other passengers along the way. (Check here to download the app for Android devices; check here to download the app for Apple)

But what will that cost residents? The Seminole County Commission will meet Aug. 26 to hash out what rates Freebee will charge. The meeting will start at 9:30 at 1101 E. First St. in Sanford.

Want to contact your elected leaders and weigh in on this topic? Find their contact information here. Have a news tip or opinion to share with OCN? Do that here.

As a LYNX rider, Stevens said if the changes are too drastic, it might affect his ability to keep working in Seminole County. 

“You have to make it reasonable, because we use the bus passes every day,” Stevens said. “It’s not our fault, like we’re just trying to go to work.”

Seminole County Commissioner Amy Lockhart told Oviedo Community News that the county doesn’t want to leave current LYNX users without a ride. But, users may have to “pay a little bit more, because everything costs a little bit more.”

“For years, the cost to the LYNX rider has been subsidized so heavily by local government that we can’t do it anymore,” Lockhart said. “People are mad that their taxes are going up. One of the reasons their taxes are going up is because we continue to subsidize more and more things like LYNX, and we can’t do it.”

Seminole County estimates that making the switch from LYNX to Freebee will save the county $2.2 million the first year, and then $2.7 million to $5.6 million in Fiscal Year 2027. The total savings depends on how popular the service is and how many cars get deployed, and could also change based on the rates set by the county. Per the contract, the county receives all of the proceeds from the fares and splits any advertising revenue. 

But Lockhart said the savings should grow over time – especially because Freebee’s cost increases are locked in for the contract, and LYNX is expected to get more expensive over time. 

“Our projected savings moving forward will be significantly more than what we are seeing now,” Lockhart said. “So if you juxtapose where we would be with LYNX in five years versus where we will be with Scout in five years, it’s a $10 million minimum delta (savings).”

So what will it cost to hail a Scout, powered by Freebee?

As of Wednesday, the agenda for Tuesday’s meeting does not include proposed fares. Oviedo Community News has requested the draft fees, and will update this story if the fares become available. In the meantime, two documents preview what it might cost to ride Freebee.

Bruce Horowitz, a passenger rail transport economist hired by the county to study the proposed fares, analyzed the county’s proposed fares. In his report – which you can read below – said the county’s model was a “truly unique” option in North America. 

That’s because the full-price fares are relatively expensive, but there are steep discounts being considered as well. 

“Notwithstanding the above-described greater service quality, it should be observed that the adopted Seminole Micro Transit ‘Freebee’ fare matrix will be among the highest-priced systems in North America for full-fare customers,” Horowitz said. 

According to the report (which does not have the proposed fares in it), the discounts being considered are: 

• Seniors (over 65); and current Students: 50% discount, consistent with transit industry discount standards.
• Low Income (defined as at or below HUD 80% Income Limit): 50% discount plus an absolute one-way fare cap of $5.
• Extremely Low Income (defined as at or below 200% of Fed Poverty level): 50% discount plus an absolute one-way fare cap of $2.50
• ADA Paratransit is likely to be used only by those whose limitations require the special services of Paratransit, any Access Plus Cardholder who feels able to use “FreeBee” Micro Transit (including wheel-chair passengers) instead of LYNX Paratransit will pay a flat one-way fare of only $1, according to the document, although that could change.

According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, in Seminole County, an individual making $59,050 or a family of four making $84,300 would qualify as low income and get a 50% discount. An individual earning $31,300 or less, or a family of four earning $64,300, would qualify as “extremely low income,” based on the federal poverty line standard.  

Seminole County Commissioner Amy Lockhart said the county does not want to compete with Uber and LYNX. 

“If you’re a current LYNX rider, we want the fare to be comparable to what you’re experiencing now, and that’s the first goal,” Lockhart said. “We don’t want it to be priced to be competitive with the private sector market, right? So we don’t want to compete with Uber and LYNX.”

Cutting 17-92 corridor could impact homeless services, jail

Two routes that are going away are Link 103 and Link 34, which both start at U.S. 17-92 north of the intersection with S.R. 436. They run along 17-92 to the Seminole Town Centre in Sanford. 

That corridor has stops near The Sharing Center, which offers services like food and showers to people experiencing homelessness in Seminole County. Clients at The Sharing Center sometimes come by bus, and are given bus passes. 

Another key location along that route? Rescue Outreach Mission in Sanford – Seminole County’s only shelter for adults experiencing homelessness. (There are also domestic violence shelters in Seminole County).

Chris Ham, executive director of the Rescue Outreach Mission in Sanford, said almost all of their clients have a cell phone. And they’re working with the county’s team to figure out a way to pay for people to get rides on Freebee. 

Freebee is targeting a 30 minute max wait time for the vehicles to arrive after being called – which would be an improvement. 

“I think there will be growing pains with everything,” Ham said. But, he added, “I think there will be some real positives with this. I know some of the challenges our guests have faced, and  they are waiting a long time for rides (on LYNX).” 

Another stop along the Link 103 along U.S. 17-92? The John E. Polk Correctional Facility, also known as the Seminole County Jail.

Lockhart said they’re working on safety protocols for people requesting rides from there. 

“When people are released from jail, it’s not uncommon for them to hop on a LYNX bus and go somewhere,” Lockhart said. “So we’re working with folks in the public defender’s office to make sure that their clients know how to utilize a new service. And we have the safety metrics in place to be able to make sure (that) if someone should not be in a vehicle with someone else … those safety precautions are in place.”

Breaking down the potential costs for one customer

No matter what decision the county makes at next week’s meeting, Brian Stevens’ monthly transportation budget is going to increase.

The Seminole County Commission has not set rates for Scout or Freebee yet. But when commissioners approved its contract back in May, the contract did include Freebee’s base fares. According to those documents, the plan is to split Seminole County into five “zones.” 

The full-price base fare for a trip under five miles within a single zone, according to the contract, would be $3.50; county officials now say the rate would likely be $3 to $5 per zone. Every time a vehicle goes into another zone, it would be charged the fare for the new zone. 

That works out to $120 to $200 more per month for Stevens, if he doesn’t qualify for any discounts, at five trips each week.  

And he would still need to keep his LYNX pass, which costs $50 a month, to travel from his Orange County home to get to the Freebee system in Seminole County. Freebee will only be available inside Seminole County’s borders. 

His other option would be to commute by bus to the LYNX Central Station in downtown Orlando, and then take the Sunrail to Longwood. A monthly Sunrail pass would cost $84 to go between two counties. From the Longwood stop, he would still need to travel the last 3.5 miles from the Sunrail station to his job by other means.

Commissioners will likely discount people traveling to and from Sunrail, but it’s not clear what that discount would be. 

“I understand that different counties may have different rules, but just make it reasonable, like a bus ticket,” Stevens said. “Because if they’re treating it like Uber, then it’s pointless for everyone in this county who’s really trying to go to work in Seminole County.”

John Eisenman, a 27-year–old Full Sail University Student, waits to board a LYNX bus Monday. Two of the routes he uses could get cut. ‘This is the first I’m hearing it,’ Eisenman said. – Photo by Abe Aboraya

‘This is the first time I’m hearing it’

For 27-year-old John Eisenman, it usually takes him two hours to get from his house in Altamonte Springs to class at Full Sail University by LYNX bus. 

Eisenman also uses the Link 434 route and the Link 103, which could be eliminated. 

Some days he’s able to catch a ride, where he pays for gas. Eisenman, like others interviewed by Oviedo Community News, was concerned about the cost.

“I would like it if the rates are somewhat lower, but it wouldn’t be a big problem if it was usually around the same price,” Eisenman said. “If it’s over, I definitely would have a problem. But hopefully it’s not the case.”

Eisenman also wanted to hear more communication, from both Seminole County and LYNX about the coming changes. He’s worried that he may have to rely on the other person who gives him a ride to campus more. 

“This is the first time I’m hearing of it, and given this is the shortest route to Full Sail, I’m a bit worried,” Eisenman said. 

Freebee said it’s doing testing in August, and will soft launch in specific zones in September: Zone 1, Launch 9/10; Zone 2, Launch 9/17; Zone 3, Launch 9/24; Zone 4, Launch 10/1; Zone 5, Launch 10/8.

Scout, powered by Freebee, will officially launch countywide Oct. 15. Crucially, there will be three months of overlap, with Seminole County paying for both the full LYNX bus routes and Frebee from Oct. 15 to Jan. 10. 

But on Jan. 10, 2026,  the majority of LYNX routes in Seminole County will disappear. 

“That’s the reason why that three month overlap is worth every penny,” Lockhart said. “It’s essential that we have that time for people to get comfortable with the new method of transportation.”

On Aug. 1, 2025, Seminole County Manager Darren Gray sent a letter to LYNX, informing them that they would cutting the routes. Every route in Seminole County will be cut, except for the following:

• S.R. 436 North and South (Link 436S and Link 436N)
• U.S. 17-92 reduced, going from the Orange County line to the Fern Park Super Stop (Link 34 route)
• S.R. 434 reduced, from the Orange County line to connect to Link 436 (Link 23)
• U.S. 441 Orange Blossom Trail stop (Link 106).

Check here for a full map of LYNX routes. 

“As part of these discussions, we were advised to provide a final date of service notification for the impacted routes when that information was available,” Gray wrote. “We appreciate your patience and want to advise that the final date of service is Jan. 10, 2026.”

Abe Aboraya is a Report for America Corps Member