Please fix the Kissimmee Connector bus

The Kissimmee Connector bus at the Kissimmee SunRail station needs some tweaks to succeed.

The Connector, launched in January, was designed to make it easier for people at the Kissimmee Intermodal Station – serving SunRail, Lynx, Greyhound, and Amtrak -- to reach the Osceola Courthouse and other destinations, such as the local hospitals.

The problem is that the Connector runs on a 30-minute schedule. It is not uncommon to see the Connector sitting empty at the intermodal station while the driver is waiting to leave on the schedule. People who want to use the Connector waste time sitting and waiting for the driver to start.

Instead of waiting, some people opt to walk, which defeats the purpose of launching this service. This is one of the reasons why the Connector sometimes runs empty, or with only one or two passengers.

The Connector would get more use if it ran on a non-stop loop, like the Lymmo buses in downtown Orlando.

In addition, merchants in Historic Downtown Kissimmee, have told us that they wish that at least part of the Connector’s route took it down the Broadway business strip, instead of skirting that downtown commercial corridor, which hosts dozens of restaurants and shops.

The Connector is operated by Lynx. Is anyone at Lynx and Kissimmee City Hall paying attention?

See you on The Kissimmee Connector.

Blame our politicians for the Lynx deficit

No one should be surprised by the recent TV news story reporting that Lynx has a $21 million deficit.

That’s the inevitable outcome when you have a fast-growing 3-county metropolitan region served by an underfunded, poorly equipped public bus system.

Our elected officials – local, state and federal – have ignored Lynx for decades. They’ve never given Lynx the resources it needs and that riders deserve. Now the suits are acting surprised.

The best suggestion some people have come up with to address the problem is laying off drivers and cutting routes.

Are you FRIGGING KIDDING US!

Anyone suggesting cutbacks is both an idiot, and an elitist!

Maybe those Lynx critics don’t ride the bus, but tens of thousands do every day.

For the record: Lynx provides 83,000 rides daily.

Lynx serves Orange, Seminole and Osceola counties with about 300 buses. By comparison, the Orange County school district has 900 buses to serve one county.

Lynx needs more drivers, more buses and more routes – not fewer.

The overwhelming majority of people who ride Lynx use it because they don’t have a choice. They don’t have a car and can’t afford one. Many spend two hours or more every day on trips to and from work, school, doctors office and such.

Most of the riders are working people – employed in the low-paying service industry that drives Central Florida’s tourism economy. They are voters and taxpayers and they deserve better.

Many walk a mile or more to reach a Lynx bus stop and must make multiple transfers to reach their destination. There are many important destinations – such as Orlando-Sanford International Airport -- that can’t be reached on a Lynx bus.

We won’t even discuss how long passengers wait – often without shelter from the sun and rain – for their bus to arrive.

The first thing some people want to do is blame the deficit problem on Lynx CEO Edward Johnson. Who knows maybe the Lynx board will throw Johnson over the side because of this deficit. But guess what? Lynx bus service will continue to suck and struggle financially!

Johnson didn’t cause the crisis. The factors leading up to this situation existed well before Johnson took over the agency. They are beyond his authority to fix.

Unlike most other transit agencies throughout the nation, Lynx does not have a dedicated funding source, to help pay for the service. (SunRail doesn’t have a dedicated funding source either and will soon be facing the same budget problem in 2 years when the Florida Department of Transportation turns over that rail system to local governments to run.)

A dedicated funding source could be a penny sales tax; a surcharge on rental cars (Orlando is the nation’s largest rental-car market), or a slice of the expressway authority tolls.

No public transit system can support its operations solely from the fare box. Typically, a public transit system can get about 30 percent of its operating money from the fare box.

It is the responsibility of our elected officials to provide that funding source to subsidize our public transit. Politicians don’t want to touch it so they won’t be blamed for a tax, but if they’re too timid to make the tough decisions, then they need to quit so we can elect people who will.

Without a subsidy, people would have to pay $15 per ride on some Lynx routes. That’s obviously too much for service workers who bring $300 or less weekly.

Let’s not forget that all transportation -- from the airlines to the street outside your house -- is supported by taxpayer subsidies.

Public transit is a service just like the police and fire departments, which are also expensive to run. Unlike police and fire, public transit does generate some income through the fare box. As noted earlier, public transit plays a major role in our local economy.

Instead of a steady source that can be counted on, every year Lynx managers must beg local governments for financial support. Lynx never gets the amount needed to create a robust, convenient bus system. Now we have a crisis. Thanks for nothing!

Time for our local, state and federal elected officials to pull up their big-boy and big-girl pants and give Lynx and its riders the financial support they have always needed.

Want a fast ride to a Disney job on Lynx?

Our bad!

A few months ago, we suggested that SunRail’s Southern Extension into Osceola County would make it easy for people to reach Disney by taking the train to Kissimmee where riders could transfer to Lynx bus route 56.

Later we learned the bus ride from the Kissimmee Intermodal Station (used by SunRail and Lynx) to Disney could take an hour or more. In a car, that same ride would take 30 minutes give or take -- depending on the time of day and the traffic.

The Link 56 bus uses U.S. Highway 192 and makes stops so you can see why the trip takes so long.

It would be much quicker if Lynx ran an express bus straight from the Tupperware SunRail station down Osceola Parkway to Disney. That trip takes 20 minutes or less.

Lynx has said it has considered such a route, but that has not been included in the bus service changes that go into effect this month.

People need the bus service now, not some time in the future.

That’s why we’re asking people to CLICK HERE to sign a petition to launch a Lynx express bus connecting SunRail to Disney.

This bus service would boost the ridership of Lynx and SunRail.

Orlando Mayor Dyer doesn't seem to care about Lynx riders

Not once during the Orlando State of Downtown address last week (Dec. 6) did Mayor Buddy Dyer mention the importance of improving and expanding Lynx bus service.

In a section of the speech Dyer labeled “connectivity” (which you can see by clicking here) he praised the SunRail commuter train. Dyer spoke of pedestrian trails, bike-share, optimizing vehicle flow, and even the introduction of a ride-share hub for downtown’s late-night club hoppers.

But Dyer – a member of Lynx board – did not specifically call out Lynx and the vital role it plays in moving people, especially those who live east and west of downtown Orlando.

Mind you Lynx Central Station sits in the heart of downtown – a stone’s throw from Creative Village – the mayor’s urban renewal pet project in the historically black Parramore community.

By overlooking Lynx -- either unintentionally or purposefully -- Dyer showed why Lynx continues to limp along. Too many politicians don’t give Lynx the priority and attention it deserves.

Pols are more interested in talking about SunRail – the new shiny toy -- than Lynx, which is the backbone of the local public transit system.

For the record, Lynx provides 83,000 rides daily, compared to SunRail which provides 5,300 rides daily.

Lynx is not sexy, and many of the people who rely on Lynx are needy, or people of color who have little political juice. The routes are convoluted, and many must wait up to an hour between buses or must walk miles to reach their closest bus stops.

Yet without Lynx, the local service-based economy would grind to a halt. Even SunRail depends on Lynx to bring many passengers to the train stations.

Lynx struggles because there is no dedicated source of funding for the system that serves Orange, Seminole and Osceola counties with a fleet of 300 buses though they really need 600 or more buses.

Every year Lynx executives must beg local counties for money to subsidize the system. Nearly every public transit system in the world requires government subsidies to keep running. Without the subsidy Lynx riders on some routes would have to pay up to $14 for a one-way ride.

It’s noteworthy that Dyer gave his State of Downtown address on the same day the Lynx board met. He didn’t make it to the Lynx meeting.

Lynx is planning to make some changes

Lynx is proposing to add 1 route and make other route and schedule changes on Jan. 28, 2019.

Here's what they're planning:

NEW ROUTE

Link 709 – Kissimmee Connector (Osceola County) – Will operate a one-way loop through downtown Kissimmee from the LYNX Kissimmee Intermodal Station via Dakin Street, Lakeview Drive, Patrick Street, Emmett Street, Church Street, Martin Luther King Junior Boulevard, Rose Avenue, Oak Street, Central Avenue, Hilda Avenue and Main Street. Route will operate every 30 minutes weekdays 6:30 a.m.-8:09 p.m.

ROUTE ADJUSTMENTS

Link 21 – Universal Studios (Orange County) – The current bus stop on Valencia College Drive will be eliminated. Buses will serve a new stop near the Valencia College Nursing and Fitness Center via Kirkman Road, Valencia College Drive and Receiving Road.        

Link 37 – Pine Hills/Florida Mall (Orange County) – The current bus stop on Valencia College Drive will be eliminated. Buses will serve a new stop near the Valencia College Nursing and Fitness Center via Kirkman Road, Valencia College Drive and Receiving Road.

Link 301 – Pine Hills/Animal Kingdom (Orange County) – Afternoon trip from Pine Hills to Animal Kingdom Lodge will serve All-Star Resort. Minor schedule changes.

Link 303 – Washington Shores/Disney Hollywood Studios (Orange County) – Routing to/from Hollywood Studios will change. Bus stop will change from current location to a new stop located at the new Cast Services building. Service to All-Star Resort will be eliminated. Minor schedule adjustments.

SCHEDULE ADJUSTMENTS

Link 8 – W. Oak Ridge Road/International Drive (Orange County) – 4:51 a.m. weekday trip from Orlando Vineland Premium Outlets to downtown Orlando will change to 4:43 a.m.

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

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

Link 38 – Downtown Orlando/SeaWorld (Orange County) – Minor schedule adjustments.

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

Link 57 – John Young Parkway (Orange County/Osceola County) – Minor schedule adjustments.

Link 60 – LYMMO Orange Line (Orange County) – On Friday and Saturday, the last trip will leave CentroPlex Garage at 10:45 p.m.

 Link 62 – LYMMO Grapefruit Line (Orange County) – On Friday and Saturday, the last trip will leave Church Street and Magnolia Avenue at 10:45 p.m.

Link 108 – South U.S. 441/Kissimmee (Orange County/Osceola County) – Minor schedule adjustments.

Link 111 – SeaWorld/Orlando International Airport (Orange County) – Minor schedule adjustments.

FastLink 407 – Kissimmee/Orlando International Airport/Medical City (Orange County/Osceola County) – Minor schedule adjustments.

Link 416 – Poinciana/Haines City (Osceola County/Polk County) – Will extend the 5:40 a.m. trip from Walmart and the 1:55 p.m. trip from Haines City Plaza to serve Haines City High School.

FastLink 441 – Downtown Orlando/Kissimmee (Orange County/Osceola County) – Minor schedule adjustments.

NeighborLink 622 – Oviedo (Seminole County) – Minor schedule adjustments.

Before they move forward with these changes, Lynx is planning to hold public hearings. The board will vote on these changes at the Dec. 6 meeting.

Those hearings will be held:

Tuesday, Nov. 13, 5 to 7 p.m.

Altamonte Springs City Hall, 225 Newburyport Ave.

Altamonte Springs

Wednesday, Nov. 14, 3 to 5 p.m.

LYNX Central Station, 2nd floor

455 North Garland Ave.

Orlando

Thursday, Nov.15, 4:45 to 6:45 p.m.

Kissimmee City Hall

101 Church St.

Kissimmee