Lots of route changes at Lynx

Lynx is planning to make route and schedule changes throughout its bus system serving Orange, Seminole and Osceola counties.

Most of the changes appear to be minor, with the exception of some routes serving the Disney resort area.

Here are the details:

ROUTE CHANGES

·         Link 36 – Lake Richmond (Orange County) – Outbound buses will operate via Central Avenue instead of Washington Street between Hughey Avenue and Division Avenue.

·         Link 104 – West Colonial Drive (Orange County) – Inbound buses will operate via Rosalind Avenue, Amelia Street to LYNX Central Station. Outbound buses will operate via Livingston Street, Magnolia Avenue to Robinson Street.

ROUTE AND SCHEDULE CHANGES

·         Link 40 – Americana Boulevard/Universal Orlando (Orange County) – Outbound buses will operate via Central Avenue instead of Washington Street between Hughey Avenue and Division Avenue. Minor schedule adjustments. 

·         Link 300 – Downtown Orlando/Hotel Plaza Boulevard (Orange County) – Eliminate evening service on Lake Street, Palm Parkway and Apopka Vineland Road. Minor schedule adjustments.

·         Link 301 – Pine Hills/Animal Kingdom (Orange County) – Extend service to Riviera Resort. Minor schedule adjustments.

·         Link 302 – Rosemont/Magic Kingdom (Orange County) – Eliminate morning service into Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa and Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort. Minor schedule adjustments.

·         Link 303 – Washington Shores/Hollywood Studios (Orange County) – Evening outbound trip from Washington Shores will no longer serve Disney's Coronado Springs Resort. Minor schedule adjustments.

·         Link 304 – Rio Grande/Vistana Resort (Orange County) – Eliminate service to Holiday Inn Resort and Lake Buena Vista Resort. Minor schedule adjustments.

SCHEDULE CHANGES

·         Link 7 – S. Orange Avenue/Florida Mall (Orange County) – Minor schedule adjustments.

·         Link 11 – S. Orange Avenue/Orlando International Airport (Orange County) – Minor schedule adjustments.

·         Link 13 – University Boulevard/UCF (Orange County) – Minor schedule adjustments.

·         Link 18 – S. Orange Avenue/Kissimmee (Orange County/Osceola County) – Minor schedule adjustments.

·         Link 23 – Winter Park/Springs Village (Orange County/Seminole County) – Minor schedule adjustments.

·         Link 26 – Pleasant Hill Road/Poinciana (Osceola County) – Minor schedule adjustments.

·         Link 37 – Pine Hills/Florida Mall (Orange County) – Minor schedule adjustments.

·         Link 40 – Americana Boulevard/Universal Orlando (Orange County) – Minor schedule adjustments.

·         Link 44 – Hiawassee Road/Zellwood (Orange County) – Minor schedule adjustments.

·         Link 50 – Downtown Orlando/Magic Kingdom (Orange County) – Minor schedule adjustments.

·         Link 51 – Conway Road/Orlando International Airport (Orange County) – Minor schedule adjustments.

·         Link 56 – W. U.S. 192/Magic Kingdom (Osceola County) – Minor schedule adjustments.

·         Link 313 – Bumby Avenue/Winter Park (Orange County) – Minor schedule adjustments.

·         Link 443 – Winter Park/Pine Hills (Orange County) – Minor schedule adjustments.

·         NeighborLink 631 – Buena Ventura Lakes (Osceola County) – Minor schedule adjustments.

·         NeighborLink 632 – North Kissimmee (Osceola County) – Minor schedule adjustments.

LYNX CENTRAL STATION BAY CHANGES

·         Link 3 – Lake Margaret Drive (Orange County) – From Bay Y to Bay Z.

·         Link 38 – Downtown Orlando/SeaWorld (Orange County) – From Bay B to Bay D.

·         Link 50 – Downtown Orlando/Magic Kingdom (Orange County) – From Bay D to Bay C.

·         Link 63 – LYMMO Orange/N. Quarter (City of Orlando) – From Bay R to Bay N.

·         Link 104 – West Colonial Drive (Orange County) – From Bay Z to Bay R.

These changes are scheduled to go into effect July 19. They will be discussed and finalized during the Lynx board meeting June 25.

Coronavirus: Lynx questions and answers

What follows are questions that David Thomas Moran, co-chair of CFL4Transit (Central Floridians for Public Transit), sent to the leadership at the Lynx public bus system. Check out the answers he received.

1.   How can the community-at-large and CFL4Transit best support LYNX and public transit right now and in the coming months? What are the biggest needs?

The best way to help is by sharing the information we are pushing.

·       www.golynx.com/coronavirusinfo

 

·       www.facebook.com/golynx

·       www.twitter.com/lynxbusorlando

Along with this we need people to understand that if you are sick, you do not ride. We are encouraging essential trips only.

2.   How is LYNX coordinating with public health officials to support the safety and well-being of transit riders and transit operators during the  COVID-19 outbreak?

LYNX is following all recommendations set forth by the CDC and local health departments to continue safely moving passengers throughout Central Florida. This includes rear door entry unless you need the lift, no fares, staggered seating and limiting the number of passengers per bus. We are encouraging the use of face masks/coverings when riding but, this is only an encouragement and not mandatory. We cannot express this enough, if a customer is sick or travel isn't essential, we are requesting those customers to please stay home and not ride LYNX.

3.   How is LYNX addressing concerns that service reductions may cause crowding on buses when social distancing is needed?

We are requiring rear door entry unless you need the lift; no fares; staggered seating and limiting the number of passengers per bus. We are encouraging the use of face masks/coverings when riding but, this is only an encouragement and not mandatory. We cannot express this enough, if a customer is sick or travel isn't essential, we are requesting those customers to please stay home and not ride LYNX.

4.   What data did the LYNX use to decide which routes to cut back on for COVID-19 service reduction?

The goal was to provide access for essential trips which included serving medical and shopping facilities. We looked at how we can best use our resources and staff while safely providing trips to our rider.

5.   How much CARES ACT (federal) funding did LYNX receive and how will it be spent?

The allocation listed in the federal register was approximately $77 million.  We are still working with the FTA on its guidance which is being refined on how the funding can be used.  Ultimately the LYNX Board will make the decision.

Worried about catching coronavirus on Lynx?

A confined space like a bus can be a great breeding ground for the coronavirus, so we reached out to Lynx to see what steps they are taking to protect the public and employees.

Here’s how they responded to us today (March 3):

“We are in the process of finalizing our official plan. Rest assured we are monitoring the potential impacts and will respond accordingly.

As of today, we have done:

1.       Creating preliminary agency plan for the coronavirus. In process.

2.       Developing plan on increasing the cleaning of its buses. No issues.

3.       Increased the cleaning of our facilities.

4.       Educated staff on the coronavirus.

5.       Participating in the Orange County Emergency Management daily conference call.”

By comparison, the NY Daily News reported the Metropolitan Transit Authority in New York City was disinfecting its 6,400 buses every three days.

Please don't leave Lynx riders out in the cold

Dang. It’s a shame more Lynx bus riders didn’t participate in a recently completed survey of Orange County transportation needs.

Survey participants were asked to select their top 5 transportation priorities. The survey was conducted by Orange County to see where the public wants to spend money if voters in November approve a proposal to add 1-cent to the sales tax to pay for transportation improvements.

The good news is that “building a mass transit system (to include buses trains and other modes of transportation)” was ranked as the No. 1 priority.

That same priority list ranked improving Lynx service as No. 8.

Improving SunRail service ranked No. 4.

Priorities 2, 3, 5, 6, and 7 focused on improving streets for vehicles.

County staff circulated the survey forms at a variety of meetings for months. The survey was widely publicized and could have been completed online.

Nearly 11,000 people completed the survey forms. Only 4 percent (about 440) of the survey participants ride Lynx daily. More than 70 percent said they never ride Lynx.

While it was gratifying to see that the overall idea of improving mass transportation ranked No. 1, much of the attention seemed to be focused on the shiny new thing – SunRail. The Lynx bus is not sexy, but necessary.

SunRail tends to carry more affluent Monday to Friday, 9 to 5 workers. There are few suits and ties on Lynx, which operates nearly 18 hours daily, 365 days of the year.

Lynx provides 60,000 rides daily, compared to SunRail which provides 6,000 rides every day during its 5-day operating schedule.

Lynx is the spark plug that drives the local economy relied on by low-income hourly workers in Central Florida’s lucrative tourism, hospitality service industry.

Many Lynx riders do not earn enough money to buy or maintain a car. They endure hours on the bus to and from work. They typically wait 30 minutes to an hour for buses – sometimes without any protection from the sun and rain. Most change buses more than once to reach their destination.

Improving that service to make it more convenient and reduce travel time requires doubling the bus fleet from a little more than 300 to 600 or more buses; more staff; better designed routes, and the construction of express buses-only lanes on main thoroughfares.

While it’s disappointing that more Lynx riders didn’t participate in the survey it’s also understandable. Many riders work more than one job and crazy hours.

They’ve also been ignored for so long that many may not think that their concerns count. Yet it’s important for riders to take every opportunity to make their voices heard.

We hope the county commissioners who will decide how money from a proposed transportation tax would be divided up understand that this survey is not a scientific poll.

We encourage commissioners to do their own research. Spend a few hours downtown at Lynx Central Station talking to riders and ride some buses (not for a photo opportunity, but for fact finding.)

Our community deserves a much better bus system than what we have today.

Lynx needs to teach SunRail a lesson

The Lynx bus folks could teach the SunRail commuter train executives a few lessons.

Lesson No. 1 is – you gotta be there!

On this past Monday – the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. federal holiday – SunRail let down the people who count on the train for daily transportation.

MLK Day bus service at SunRail

As SunRail has done for the past 5 MLK holidays – there was no train service on Monday. It is one of seven holidays when SunRail does not run.

But guess what?

Lynx was on the road – on a holiday schedule – but the buses were running.

We watched Monday morning while two Lynx buses pulled into the Meadow Woods SunRail station. Even though the parking lot was empty, there was a handful of people waiting for the buses.

Lynx has many shortcomings that demand attention, but at least the Lynx bus is there and operating 365 days of the year.

We’ve heard from people who use a combination of the Lynx bus and SunRail to get to and from work. When there is no SunRail, their commute time increases by 2 hours or more.

SunRail stops on the front doorstep of this region’s two largest hospitals – Orlando Health and Advent Health.

Hospitals are open 24/7. How are the caregivers supposed to get to work when the train is not running? (In addition to Orlando Health and Advent Health, there are at least two other hospitals served by SunRail stations.)

What about the airport workers and those who are the lifeblood of our hospitality industry?

SunRail has an excuse for why there is no holiday service, but it’s crap.

Whoever came up with SunRail's jacked up operating schedule that doesn’t include holidays and weekends was either a bureaucrat or a politician who never uses public transit -- and doesn’t care about those who do.

Cut the baloney, SunRail!

Put Lynx in charge of the trains and let’s get SunRail on the right track.

SunRail needs Lynx, not the other way around.

Lynx brings many people to the train station and provides a last-mile solution for many riders.

That said, Lynx needs to double the size of its bus fleet; pay its drivers a livable wage and increase its infrastructure with more operations centers to stage buses and improved bus stops for passengers.

People shouldn’t have to wait an hour for a bus or put up with no train service on weekends and holidays.

We deserve better!

Lynx must not think too much of its drivers

Usually, we write about residents who depend on the Lynx bus for transportation in Central Florida.

But this time we’re focusing on the plight of Lynx bus drivers.

Recently we noticed a Lynx bus sporting a sign announcing that Lynx wants to hire new drivers.

The starting pay: $14 an hour.

Seriously?

Maybe Lynx management (a public agency) isn’t aware of it, but there is a national campaign seeking a minimum wage of $15 an hour for all workers. Lynx’s ridiculous compensation offer may be one of the reasons the agency is so desperate to recruit that it resorted to ads on the side of its buses.

Honestly, $15 an hour isn’t a livable wage. Try paying your rent, utilities, bills and feeding your family on that. No wonder so many people are living in tents and their cars.

We’ve heard some Lynx drivers can’t afford a car. Just like many of their passengers – who can’t afford a car – some drivers ride the Lynx bus to work. Let that sink in for a moment…

The good news at Lynx is after you complete your bus driver training your pay goes up to $16.70, according to a union official.

Big whoop!

Driver pay at Lynx tops out at $23 an hour. Gee hope they don’t have children who want to visit Disney or go to college one day.

Let’s get serious. A driver must have special training and licenses. Drivers also must pass an annual physical. Everybody doesn’t have what it takes to drive a Lynx bus.

The driver operates a half-million-dollar piece of equipment on crowded, chaotic streets and is responsible for the safety and lives of dozens of passengers. Come to think of it, the driver’s responsibilities look a lot like an airline pilot’s – and fly jocks make six-figure salaries.

Realistically we understand that Lynx drivers aren’t going to get six-figure salaries, but gee, they ought to be getting decent pay for a difficult job that is sometimes dangerous. Last year a Lynx driver was killed in a mishap. Down in Hillsborough County, a bus driver was viciously slashed and disfigured by a passenger.

The amount Lynx is willing to pay its drivers says a lot about how much it cares about the customers (the public) Lynx is serving. Would you want your heart surgery performed by a doctor being paid minimum wage?

How are drivers supposed to focus on the jobs when they’re worrying about picking up enough overtime hours to keep a roof over their heads and pay their bills?

How can Lynx become a world-class public transportation agency if it can’t hire and retain outstanding drivers?

Lynx gotta do better!

Please attend Wednesday meeting to improve Lynx bus service

If you have difficulty getting from Point A to Point B in Central Florida, then you should attend a very important meeting scheduled for this Wednesday (Aug. 21).

The meeting was called by Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings to discuss transportation -- everything from roads to SunRail and the Lynx bus system.

During his first State of the County address Demings floated the idea of seeking voter approval for a 1-cent sales tax increase in Orange County to help pay for needed improvements to public transportation.

In that speech, Demings said, “I am convinced that now is the time for us to seek multi-modal transportation options that will increase frequency of public transit so more people will use it,” Mayor Demings said.

“Now is the time to collectively arrive at a comprehensive solution that will foster an environment where a transportation network is fully funded. I invite our community to consider support of a sales tax referendum to prepare for the future today. I look forward to leading efforts to pass a one-cent sales tax increase that will allow us to fully fund a transportation system that can better serve us well into the future.”

He promised to call meetings to discuss transportation needs.

Wednesday's event, which will be held in a second-floor conference room at Lynx Central Station in downtown Orlando.

Lynx struggles to serve three counties with a fleet of barely more than 300 buses. By comparison, the Orange County School District has a fleet of 900 buses to serve one county. Many passengers must wait an hour for buses because the fleet is too small, and the system is poorly funded.

Improving public transit gives residents an alternative to driving their cars everywhere – especially when heading to downtown Orlando, where congestion is the worst and parking is expensive.

“Now is the time to move forward and not go back, now is the time to build a better quality of life not only for us but for generations to come,” Demings said during the State of the County speech.

County officials said they're seeking the public's thoughts on:

·        Public transportation

·        Congested roads

·        Pedestrian crossings

·        Traffic signals and technology

Wednesday’s meeting will start at 6 p.m.

Lynx Central Station is a perfect location because it is easy to reach by folks who ride SunRail and Lynx.