Just after the first of the year, those who use the Lynx bus service or SunRail through the Kissimmee Intermodal Transportation hub will have a new way of moving “that last mile” to common destinations.
The “FreeBee” service is expected to start in mid-January, after the city agreed to a oneyear contract with the South Florida mobility company, and the City Commission approved it last week.
FreeBee will connect bus and SunRail train riders from the downtown transportation hub to Valencia College, the Osceola County Courthouse, Administration Building and the rest of downtown, Lakefront Park and health care facilities and offices like AdventHealth, HCA Florida Osceola Hospital and Heritage Square Medical Offices.
“It operates much like Uber or Lyft, but it would be free for residents,” City Planner Ashley Cornelison said.
The contract is for $402,390 and includes 12 months of the “micro-transit” service using four low-emission Teslas, including one van compliant with the American’s With Disabilities Act (ADA). It also includes access to FreeBee’s app, the manner in which riders will request service. The vehicles also have “wraps” that can feature paid ads for local businesses, and the company would allow its drivers to be trained Kissimmee “ambassadors” to tell out-of-towners about the city and its features. It would be available from 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., with flexibility in the contract for service during special weekend events. That was not available through Lynx, who served the area with its Kissimmee Connector, a product that cost the city about $500,000 per year before it let that contract expire at the end of September.
A part of the city’s agreement is to allow the City Manager to amend service boundaries, in order to help North Kissimmee residents access to a grocery store; the local Save-A-Lot on Orange Blossom Trail remains closed as it continues recovery from severe flooding caused by Hurricane Ian on Sept. 29. Commissioners Janette Martinez and Olga Castano asked staff to look into whether the service has a call-in component for those — like some seniors — who don’t have smartphones and can’t or won’t be able to access the app.
Freebee (ridefreebee. com) currently runs routes in Miami-Dade and Broward Counties.
