
FreeBee minivans to travel Seminole roads in place of most Lynx buses — but it might cost more
County leaders hailed the decision as a big day in Seminole history — with one commissioner calling the door-to-door service 'such a big turning point' for mass transit in Central Florida.
'I think this is a great first step,' Commission Chair Jay Zembower said. 'But this is not a government-funded replacement for your Uber or Lyft rides.
'It was never our intention to compete with the private sector. … But the model is broken when it comes to mass transportation using buses.'
County officials anticipate FreeBee to be fully operating by Jan. 1, but many details must be worked out before the on-demand service hits Seminole roads. Those include fares, annual cost to the county and how far residents will be able to travel in a FreeBee electric van. It would not be offered in the county's eastern rural area where Lynx doesn't provide service.
The cost to the county for FreeBee service would depend on how many vehicles are used. For 35 vans it would cost nearly $4.9 million the first year — with a $100,000 start-up cost. For 55 the cost jumps to nearly $7.8 million annually.
FreeBee proposed fares of up to $4 per passenger and $1 more for each additional rider per trip. By comparison, most single-ride fares on Lynx are $2. Discounts would be available for FreeBee passengers younger than 18, older than 65 and those with disabilities.
Pointing out that FreeBee fares could end up more expensive than Lynx, Commissioner Lee Constantine said he didn't want it becoming unaffordable to residents who've long relied on the Orlando-based Lynx.
'I want to make sure that folks who have no other choice other than Lynx are going to be put in the same position as they are with Lynx financially,' Constantine said.
Here's how FreeBee service would work: A Sanford resident wanting to go to the Altamonte Mall, for example, would request by app or phone call a FreeBee van that seats six to pick them up at their home. The van would drive them to the Sanford SunRail station to catch a train to the Altamonte station, where a FreeBee vehicle would take them to the mall. The customer would likely end up paying fares for the first van, the train and the second van but those specifics need to negotiated.
If a Seminole rider wants a trip to downtown Orlando or Winter Park, FreeBee would take them to the nearest SunRail station. On any trip, vans could make stops to pick up other riders along the way.
Miami-based FreeBee has operated in Kissimmee since March 2023, when city commissioners decided to replace the fixed-route Lynx Circulator buses with point-to-point service that shuttles riders to businesses, employers and the SunRail station.
Data shows that in its first month there FreeBee had 394 passengers, but in January it had 2,186 riders — a more than fivefold increase from its inception. In Kissimmee, the FreeBee service is free to passengers.
City spokeswoman Alibeth Suarez said by email that because of its success, the service was expanded in April 2024 to include commercial areas west of John Young Parkway.
Lynx is not leaving Seminole entirely. The county agreed to continue its most heavily-used routes near the Orange County border — including along portions of State Road 436, and U.S. highways 441 and 17-92. Lynx also will continue its paratransit service for low-income and elderly riders along with those who have physical or mental disabilities.
Seminole commissioners have long criticized Lynx as inefficient and not worth the $17 million cost for this year. They said they often see the 40-foot-long Lynx buses with few or no passengers.
County projections last month estimated the number of Lynx riders in Seminole at between 3,500 and 4,200 on weekdays. But Lynx officials said their 2024 data showed an average weekday ridership of 6,644. Lynx has charged Seminole based on number of routes and frequency of service the county requests.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

Yahoo
19 minutes ago
- Yahoo
VeriSign beats second-quarter profit estimates on steady demand for domain names
(Reuters) -Internet services company VeriSign posted second-quarter profit above Wall Street estimates on Thursday, helped by stable demand for domain name registrations as businesses bolster their digital footprints. The Reston, Virginia-based company serves as the authoritative registry operator for two of the internet's most commercially significant domains, .com and .net, which together account for the majority of global domain registrations. Its shares gained about 2% in extended trading after earlier dropping 8% following the news. For the second quarter, the company posted a profit of $2.21 per share, compared with estimates of $2.20, according to data compiled by LSEG. Verisign ended the second quarter with 170.5 million .com and .net domain name registrations in the domain name base, down 0.1% from a year ago. The company reported second-quarter revenue of $410 million, missing analysts' estimates of $411 million. VeriSign also operates two of the world's 13 critical root name servers that form the backbone of internet infrastructure. It processed 10.4 million new domain name registrations for .com and .net in the second quarter, compared with 9.2 million a year ago. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
19 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Kohl's shares quickly rose in a 'meme-stock' rally. What to know.
Kohl's Corp shares briefly doubled in value to a ten-month high of $21.23 on July 22, making it one of the most traded stocks on retail platforms. The chain became the latest 'meme stock,' as the surge in trading was driven by online discussions on platforms like Reddit's WallStreetBets. Reuters reported that the volume of the Wisconsin-based company's stock caused a temporary halt in trading. The share price closed at approximately $14.34 per share, representing a 38% increase for the day. The recent trading frenzy resembles the 2021 "meme stock" rally, marked by surges in stocks like GameStop and AMC Entertainment. Contributing factors included COVID-19 lockdowns, which increased savings, government stimulus checks and low interest rates that drove more investors into the stock market. Here's what you need to know about the Kohl's 'meme stock' rally: What are meme stocks? A meme stock is a nickname for a company whose shares get a boost when retail traders rally around it on platforms such as Reddit, and X to trigger a short squeeze, according to Reuters. These companies are often facing losses, but meme stock traders love them for their cheap stock price. WallStreetBets on Reddit has gained popularity as a forum for discussing the stock market and sharing stock recommendations. Often, those companies have a large amount of shares being shorted, which can lead to price increases and force hedge funds and other firms betting against these companies to take a sizable financial loss. How much trading took place in Kohl's shares? The average trading volume for Kohl's is roughly 8.7 million shares a day. However, on July 22, traders were moving as high as 190 million shares of stock. Kohl's stock continues wild ride: CNBC's Cramer says 'something good' could come at company What do experts say about meme stock trading? David Swartz, analyst with Morningstar who monitors Kohl's, told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, part of the USA TODAY network, that Kohl's share price has been steadily increasing in recent months. 'It's been building for a while,' Swartz said. 'It has been building from its lows, and people started promoting it online.' Swartz said the volume on July 22 was astronomically higher than usual. 'That will typically happen when there's a big move,' Swartz said. Those who bet against the stock likely lost money or had to buy more stock to cover their losses, he added. Even with the stock's performance increasing in recent weeks, Swartz said he doesn't expect the trading frenzy to last. Macy's and Bed, Bath & Beyond are examples of companies that have been caught up in the 'meme stock' rally, but neither company's future financial situation has changed. Contributing: Ricardo Torres, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel; Reuters This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kohl's shares quickly rose in a 'meme-stock' rally. What to know. Sign in to access your portfolio


USA Today
21 minutes ago
- USA Today
Kohl's shares quickly rose in a 'meme-stock' rally. What to know.
Kohl's Corp shares briefly doubled in value to a ten-month high of $21.23 on July 22, making it one of the most traded stocks on retail platforms. The chain became the latest 'meme stock,' as the surge in trading was driven by online discussions on platforms like Reddit's WallStreetBets. Reuters reported that the volume of the Wisconsin-based company's stock caused a temporary halt in trading. The share price closed at approximately $14.34 per share, representing a 38% increase for the day. The recent trading frenzy resembles the 2021 "meme stock" rally, marked by surges in stocks like GameStop and AMC Entertainment. Contributing factors included COVID-19 lockdowns, which increased savings, government stimulus checks and low interest rates that drove more investors into the stock market. Here's what you need to know about the Kohl's 'meme stock' rally: What are meme stocks? A meme stock is a nickname for a company whose shares get a boost when retail traders rally around it on platforms such as Reddit, and X to trigger a short squeeze, according to Reuters. These companies are often facing losses, but meme stock traders love them for their cheap stock price. WallStreetBets on Reddit has gained popularity as a forum for discussing the stock market and sharing stock recommendations. Often, those companies have a large amount of shares being shorted, which can lead to price increases and force hedge funds and other firms betting against these companies to take a sizable financial loss. How much trading took place in Kohl's shares? The average trading volume for Kohl's is roughly 8.7 million shares a day. However, on July 22, traders were moving as high as 190 million shares of stock. Kohl's stock continues wild ride: CNBC's Cramer says 'something good' could come at company What do experts say about meme stock trading? David Swartz, analyst with Morningstar who monitors Kohl's, told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, part of the USA TODAY network, that Kohl's share price has been steadily increasing in recent months. 'It's been building for a while,' Swartz said. 'It has been building from its lows, and people started promoting it online.' Swartz said the volume on July 22 was astronomically higher than usual. 'That will typically happen when there's a big move,' Swartz said. Those who bet against the stock likely lost money or had to buy more stock to cover their losses, he added. Even with the stock's performance increasing in recent weeks, Swartz said he doesn't expect the trading frenzy to last. Macy's and Bed, Bath & Beyond are examples of companies that have been caught up in the 'meme stock' rally, but neither company's future financial situation has changed. Contributing: Ricardo Torres, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel; Reuters