Seminole County approves microtransit contract with BeFree LLC to replace select LYNX routes

The Seminole County Board of County Commissioners unanimously voted to award RFP 604918-25/PCD for microtransit services to BeFree LLC (doing business as Freebie) and authorized the county manager to execute the agreement and adjust service levels based on demand. The board action followed a staff presentation summarizing vendor proposals, pricing options and next steps.

Staff said the contract is intended to replace several existing LYNX fixed routes within the county while leaving LYNX-operated paratransit and transportation-disadvantaged services in place. Christian Swinson, Assistant County Manager, and Tim Jacks, budget director, told commissioners vendors returned compliant proposals that ranged from roughly $4.8 million to $9.2 million depending on vehicle counts, vehicle types and optional in‑kind services. Swinson said staff’s recommendation reflected a negotiated insurance level and several standardizations to make vendor offers comparable.

Why it matters: the change is intended to reduce cost and increase coverage where fixed routes have low ridership. Commissioners repeatedly said they want to avoid creating a government-run Uber replacement, preserve service for transportation-disadvantaged riders, and protect the county’s fiscal exposure while the new service scales up.

Most important facts first: Swinson said vendors proposed different starting fleets (two vendors suggested 35 vehicles initially; vendors agreed a fully ramped service might require 55 vehicles). Staff and the county risk manager recommended an umbrella insurance level of $5,000,000 (with $2,000,000 listed as minimally acceptable). Staff also reported potential annual savings if the county provided parking for overnight vehicles (about $63,000) but said providing electricity for vendor electric fleets would be treated as a pass‑through cost and was not part of the recommendation. Swinson said setup costs varied by vendor (two vendors proposed roughly $100,000; one proposed about $650,000). He said staff is targeting an October service start, subject to final contract execution and federal compliance checks.

On scope and LYNX: staff and commissioners confirmed LYNX will continue to operate paratransit and transportation‑disadvantaged service. Swinson described the county microtransit as “meant to complement the service to not replace it.” He noted vendor pricing and LYNX partner escalators should be considered over a multi‑year horizon.

Board discussion and vote: Commissioners pressed staff on fare policy, exit costs from LYNX, contract escalators and oversight. Commissioner Amy Lockhart, who made the motion to award, said the board authorized the county manager “to execute the agreement and adjust service levels going forward based on demand.” Commissioner Andrea Herr asked that future fare discussions define the highest fare compatible with federal grant eligibility and urged starting small and scaling up. Commissioner Lee Constantine and others asked that contract notices and changes also be sent to the commission chair in addition to the county manager. After discussion, the motion to award to BeFree LLC carried unanimously.

Direct excerpts from the meeting include Swinson’s recommendation, and the motion that followed: “our recommendation from staff … is here on the screen. We’re recommending … award to BeFree LLC, which does business as Freebie and authorize the county manager to execute the agreement and adjust the service level.” Commissioner Lockhart moved to award the contract; the motion carried unanimously.

Next steps: Swinson said the draft agreement is under final legal review and will be reviewed by an outside vendor for federal compliance (including Title VI). Staff plans to return to the board later with a separate agendized item specifically to discuss fares and discounts once an outside review is complete. The county manager and vendor will finalize a contract and a phased implementation plan before service launch.