To the Seminole County Board of County Commissioners:

We, the residents of Seminole County, are calling for the immediate restoration of the LYNX bus routes that were eliminated in early 2026.

While the "Scout" micro-transit program was introduced with the promise of flexibility and "door-to-door" service, the reality for our community has been a significant decline in reliable public transportation. Since the transition, residents have faced:

• Excessive Wait Times: Many riders are experiencing wait times of an hour or more, making it impossible to reliably get to work, medical appointments, or school.
  
  
• Accessibility Hurdles: For many, particularly seniors and those with disabilities, the fixed, predictable nature of LYNX buses was a lifeline. Replacing this with an app-based or call-in system has created unnecessary barriers for those who rely on public transit most.
  
  
• A Loss of Infrastructure: Fixed-route transit is the backbone of a functional county. By dismantling this infrastructure, the county has compromised the mobility of its most vulnerable citizens and discouraged transit use by increasing complexity and cost.

Public transportation is a fundamental service, not a luxury that should be "optimized" out of existence to save on a budget at the expense of our residents' ability to navigate their own county.

We demand that the County Commissioners:

1. Reinstate the eliminated LYNX bus routes to provide the consistency and high-capacity service our county needs.
   
   
2. Conduct an independent audit of the Scout program’s actual impact on resident mobility, beyond the projected cost savings.
   
   
3. Prioritize the needs of transit-dependent riders over private-contractor rideshare models.

We deserve a transportation system that actually works for everyone—not just those with a smartphone and the time to wait for a van that may or may not arrive on time. Please restore our bus service.