Seminole County to pilot Freebee ‘Scout’ microtransit; soft launch set for September, full deployment by Oct. 15

The Seminole County Board of County Commissioners heard a detailed briefing on the county’s planned microtransit service — branded “Scout powered by Freebee” — including operations, fare design plans and a phased launch timetable. Freebee CEO Jason Spiegel and Vice President Claudia Muro said the program will launch with 35 vehicles divided into five primary service zones and a countywide flex zone. "This program is gonna start with 35 vehicles. There will be 5 primary zones," Spiegel told the board, and he walked commissioners through proposed hours and rider features. The company described the operating plan and rider experience: most trips will be booked through the Freebee mobile app (Apple and Google Play); customers without smartphones can call the Ride dispatch line. Vehicles planned include Volkswagen ID.Buzz (electric, six passengers) and hybrid Toyota Sienna vehicles with wheelchair access. Freebee said vehicles will be W-2 employees with company-provided ambassador training. Key operating details given to the board: - Fleet and zones: 35 vehicles; five named zones (Monroe, Lake Mary, Howe, Brantley and Econ) plus a flex zone that covers the county excluding the rural area. - Hours: Monday–Friday, 5 a.m.–9 p.m.; Saturday, 6 a.m.–10 p.m.; Sunday, 6 a.m.–8 p.m. - Booking and fares: On-demand bookings via the Freebee app or by calling "Ride." Commissioners were told the fare matrix will be returned at a later work session and will include discounted fares for seniors, students and low-income riders. Freebee said riders traveling inside a single zone will be charged a base fare and cross-zone trips will be charged by number of zones crossed. - Rider amenities: Booster seats available in every vehicle, bike accommodation options, real-time tracking in the app, and a local-business directory and promotions on the app. Freebee said local businesses can have a free listing in the app and may buy premium placements. - Data and oversight: County staff will get a live dashboard with vehicle locations, heat maps and raw pickup/drop-off data; monthly reports will be provided to evaluate the service. Freebee described the launch plan as a phased rollout: product testing in the app, in-field testing in early September, soft launch starting Sept. 10 with one zone per week, and full deployment by Oct. 15. Spiegel said the company’s simulations target an average rider wait time of about 20–22 minutes with a maximum target wait of 30 minutes; actual wait depends on demand and vehicle supply. Board members asked operational and program questions. Commissioners raised concerns about sustainability, passenger wait times, pre-scheduled pickups, and what would happen to current LYNX bus routes. Christian Swenson, assistant county manager, told the board that the county will run Scout in parallel with some LYNX routes through the fall so there is overlap ahead of LYNX route reductions planned for January. Commissioner Pamela Delaure asked about pre-scheduled pickups; Spiegel said the platform supports scheduled trips but noted allowing widespread preschedules could consume fleet capacity and reduce on-demand availability. Commissioner Tim Lockhart asked about hiring and background checks; Freebee said it is hiring locally (more than 500 applicants responded to an initial job posting) and agreed to provide county staff details on hiring and background-check processes. Commissioner Kira Herr and others described outreach strategies Freebee and county staff are using — ambassadors at bus stops wearing identifiable shirts, UCF interns doing data and on-the-ground outreach, and a joint marketing plan led by county communications. Swenson said the county will coordinate signage and rider notices with LYNX so the switch in service does not confuse current bus riders. Why it matters: The board plans to replace or reduce a set of existing LYNX bus routes with an on-demand fleet intended to be more flexible and cost-effective for local travel. Commissioners emphasized the need to monitor performance closely, preserve service to seniors and mobility-limited riders, and keep communications clear to avoid losing riders during the transition. Next steps: Freebee and county staff will return in two weeks with a deep-dive on fare structure and an operations update. The board also approved a follow-up work session to review launch readiness and integration with LYNX before the soft-launch sequence begins.