SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. – Seminole County’s on-demand “SCOUT” micro-transit service keeps growing — but passengers say the wait times still need improvement since the transportation service first hit the road. Now, the county is hoping $1.5 million in state funding will continue to support its mission to make the service faster, more accessible and better connected for the thousands of riders who depend on it every day.
Seminole County Community Correspondent Catherine Silver rode along with SCOUT passengers Thursday to find out what improvements they want to see most.
Recommended Videos
Riders say wait times remain a challenge
Dawn Hamilton was heading to an appointment in Sanford when News 6 met her Thursday aboard a SCOUT vehicle.
“It’s been pretty reliable,” Hamilton said.
But wait times remain a sticking point.
“It can range from 20 minutes to an hour and a half,” Hamilton said. “Some people are waiting for two hours, depending on how busy they are.”
When asked how the service could be improved, her answer was simple.
“Maybe more vehicles, so the waiting time would be a little less,” she said.
The county says the average SCOUT wait time on June 3 was 45.90 minutes across 1,010 completed rides — and adding more vehicles to the fleet this summer is a direct response to that demand.
Seven new vehicles on the way this summer
Seven new SCOUT vehicles will hit the road as soon as next month as part of the county’s partnership with its transit vendor, Freebee. More vehicles mean more drivers — and shorter waits for riders.
News 6 has reported on the county’s efforts to expand the SCOUT fleet and improve the service to meet riders’ needs since it first launched. Next week, county staff will ask the Board of County Commissioners to approve a second consecutive grant application that could bring up to $1.5 million in state funding to support SCOUT’s growth.
The application targets the Florida Department of Transportation District Five’s State Fiscal Year 2028 Public Transit Service Development Program. If the Board approves the second grant application, the new round of funding would help sustain the expanded level of service through fiscal year 2026-27, ensuring riders who benefit from the larger fleet continue to have access to it.
The grant requires a 50% county match, meaning Seminole County would need to contribute up to $750,000 in local funding.
SCOUT by the numbers
The service’s growth is hard to ignore. SCOUT has averaged more than 1,000 weekday riders per day for more than a month, according to county officials. On June 3 alone, the service carried 1,132 passengers across 1,010 completed rides — earning a rider service rating of 4.83 out of 5.
Dee McClendon is one of those weekday riders, using SCOUT to connect to SunRail on his way to work in downtown Orlando.
His commute is a model for what the service was designed to do — link riders to the broader regional transit network efficiently.
“Just 35 minutes,” he said of his total commute time.
The June 3 data shows SCOUT is doing exactly that. The Lake Mary SunRail Station recorded 21 pickups and 22 drop-offs that day, while the Altamonte SunRail Station logged 20 pickups and 26 drop-offs. The UCF Transit Hub added 12 pickups and 15 drop-offs.
When asked how he’d improve the service, McClendon’s answer was familiar.
“Just the wait time. That’s it after that. And I love the service,” he said. “Everyone should try it.”
Software upgrades already making a difference
The county says software updates from Freebee — which matches rider requests with available drivers in real time — have already improved connectivity and helped alleviate wait times even as ridership continues to climb.
On June 3, riders averaged a 6.92-mile trip over 19.8 minutes of in-vehicle time, with the service logging 6,988.2 total passenger miles across 574.3 vehicle revenue hours. Wheelchair-accessible rides accounted for 19 trips that day, reflecting the program’s focus on serving seniors and individuals with disabilities.
UCF partnership already underway — potential expansion ahead
SCOUT already serves UCF students through an existing partnership with the university. The service currently connects riders to and from the UCF/LYNX SuperStop — the only location on UCF’s main campus where SCOUT picks up or drops off passengers.
The grant application references a potential expansion of that UCF service. However, county officials note the decision is still under evaluation and will depend on future budget considerations, particularly as initiatives funded through property tax revenues face continued scrutiny heading into the next budget cycle.
What commissioners will decide Tuesday
County commissioners are expected to vote Tuesday on whether to authorize the grant application. If approved, the board chairman would sign a resolution authorizing the county manager — or a designee — to execute all related grant documents.
The Public Transit Service Development Program was established by the Florida Legislature under Chapter 341, Florida Statutes, to provide initial funding for special transit projects. The discretionary program is designed to evaluate whether new or innovative approaches can improve or expand public transit services.