SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. – The next time you book a ride on SCOUT during rush hour, it could cost more — but an increase surcharge during peak times could also alleviate long wait times for riders who rely on the service the most.
On Tuesday, county commissioners unanimously approved fare changes to the on-demand service, increasing the peak-hour surcharge from $1.00 to $2.50 for non-discounted riders during weekday commute hours — 7 to 9 a.m. and 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. The change comes as Scout marks more than eight months of operation, steady ridership growth — and persistent criticism over long wait times, particularly during the busiest parts of the day.
The peak surcharge: Who pays more, who doesn’t
The higher peak-hour surcharge — now $2.50 for non-discounted riders — is designed to do one thing: encourage riders making non-essential trips to book outside of rush hours, freeing up capacity for people commuting to work.
Chairman Andria Herr put it plainly.
“If you have all day, then don’t do it during peak hours,” she said. “Let the people that are having to get to and from work get to and from work.”
“I would equate this to years ago when I had an elderly father and he used to say, ‘When I go to the grocery store on Saturday mornings, it’s too crowded,’” Herr said. “‘Well, pop, don’t go to the grocery store on Saturday morning. You have all week. Let’s figure out another time for you to do that.’ And that’s what we’re attempting to do.”
Critically — and this point was emphasized repeatedly during Tuesday’s meeting — the surcharge increase does not apply to discounted riders.
“If you’re part of the vulnerable population that this was targeted to, you’re not affected,” Assistant County Manager Kristian Swenson said. “You don’t get charged for that.”
That means seniors 65 and older, students, low-income riders and persons with disabilities — all of whom already receive 50% off base fares — will not see their costs increase during peak hours. The county hopes the people who need Scout most may actually find it easier to get a ride when they need it most.
A discount for SunRail riders
Along with the fare change, the county approved an increased discount for riders who use Scout to connect to SunRail. Any rider traveling to or from a SunRail station will now have their trip capped at $1.00 — and the peak-hour surcharge is waived entirely for those trips, regardless of discount status.
The idea is to make it more economical to use Scout as a first- and last-mile connector to the regional rail system — particularly for riders who might otherwise pay multiple fares to cross zones.
Commissioners pushed Swenson to go further than his original $1.50 proposal.
“Since you’re going to be using Scout twice, I can see going down to a dollar to actually push people to SunRail,” said Commissioner Dallari.
The numbers suggest riders are already making the connection. SunRail pickups and drop-offs through Scout grew 247.7% between November 2025 and June 2026, according to data presented to the Commission Tuesday.
Chairman Herr noted the increase from LYNX to Scout represented an even larger leap.
“The number of people that we’re moving to SunRail is fivefold, five times the volume that it was when we were moving folks through LYNX,” said Herr. “So, we’re taking an asset that was underutilized and was already paid for by the taxpayer, SunRail, and now we’re utilizing it.”
Overall SunRail average daily ridership reached 5,705 in April 2026 and 5,525 in May 2026. Swenson said he believes Scout is contributing to that growth, though he stopped short of claiming sole credit.
“I’m not going to be as bold to say that we’re solely feeding that,” he said. “But I do believe looking at the previous slide and this there’s an extrapolation where I think we’re helping the growth in SunRail.
Wait times: Still a challenge, but improving
Since Scout launched in October 2025, wait times have been the most talked-about frustration among riders. At its worst in February 2026, the average wait was 53 minutes. By June 2026, that number had dropped to 41 minutes.
Assistant County Manager Kristian Swenson said the spike in wait times earlier this year was largely tied to a wave of former LYNX riders joining the system all at once after routes were discontinued in January 2026.
“Folks that used LYNX stayed on LYNX until really the end,” Swenson said. “So there was a slug of customers that came in.”
Board Chairman Andria Herr acknowledged the criticism surrounding wait times when asked by News 6 — but pushed back on how it is being framed.
“Maybe they should hear the whole story,” Herr said. “There are a lot of people that we’re moving through this county that were never moved through this county on a public transit system before, and a lot of them are not trying to get to and from work during peak hours.”
Herr also challenged the comparison between Scout wait times and traditional bus service.
“You’re not waiting at a bus stop anymore,” she said. “You’re waiting in the comfort of your home or the comfort of your workplace, and so you can schedule and be productive during those times as well.”
What the county has done to address long waits
Seminole County and service partner Freebee have made a series of operational changes since launch aimed at cutting wait times and improving efficiency.
The county launched a Wait Time Planner — a tool that lets riders check estimated pickup times before booking. The fleet has expanded by seven vans with additional drivers hired to meet growing demand. An artificial intelligence agent has been loaded into the system to help analyze data and drive improvements in real time.
A Florida Department of Transportation grant has been approved for further service expansion, expected after July 2026 — which could bring additional relief to riders experiencing long waits.
Background: Why Scout exists
The transition to micro-transit began when the Seminole County Board of County Commissioners directed staff to find ways to lower LYNX public transit costs and improve service delivery. A request for proposals was issued, and the county awarded a micro-transit services contract in 2025.
Scout launched Oct. 15, 2025, and under utilized LYNX routes were discontinued Jan. 11, 2026. Eight LYNX fixed routes were eliminated or significantly reduced, along with two Neighborlink service areas — cutting roughly 82,000 service hours.
The county projects $9 million in LYNX savings for fiscal year 2027. Scout’s projected net cost for FY27 is $7.22 million, after grants, farebox revenue and advertising income — resulting in an estimated net savings of $1.7 million compared to the previous LYNX model.
Swenson called the financial results a “massive win.”
“This is a massive win, from at least my perspective.” he said. “The fact we’re not upside down — we actually are $1.7 million to the good — and we’re still pretty much cash-paying everything outside of the FDOT service grant.”
Commissioner Zembower said the savings only tell part of the story.
“We’re servicing much more individuals at a better service level than we ever did with LYNX,” Zembower said. “You got the benefit of the savings, but you got the better service level and servicing more citizens within this county — which is a win-win.”
Herr told News 6 the impact she finds hardest to capture in a spreadsheet may also be the most important one.
“If you live in Seminole County and you ride around and you peek through the windows of those Scout vehicles, you see people that are coming out of their homes doing it without the help of a relative, without the help of a neighbor,” Herr said. “We’ve created an independence in this county that’s beyond what we have anywhere — and that’s pretty cool.”
How Scout works
Scout is an on-demand micro-transit service operating across five zones in Seminole County. Riders download the Ride Freebee app on iOS or Android, create an account and select “Scout – Seminole County.”
From there, riders add a payment method, enter a pickup location and destination, then review the fare and estimated wait time before requesting a ride. The app supports in-app card payments, and some locations also accept Apple Pay and Google Pay. Once booked, riders can track their vehicle in real time.
Booking through the app earns riders a 50-cent discount on every ride. For riders without a smartphone, a backup phone line is available at 407-665-RIDE (7433).
Scout operates seven days a week. Monday through Friday service runs from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday hours are 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Sunday service runs from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. A full list of fares and discounts is available at scoutseminolefl.com/fares.