ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — LYNX is proposing to discontinue a bus route that some Orange Technical College students rely on to get to class, and some riders learned about the change for the first time from Channel 9.
Link 701 runs between the West Oaks Mall SuperStop and Orange Technical College’s west campus in Ocoee. Jajuan Dexter rides the bus to class three days a week. It is his only way to school.
“No, I did not,” Dexter said when told LYNX was proposing to cut the route.
Sany Duclos, another student who rides the bus, had the same reaction.
“No, I don’t,” Duclos said.
Link 701 is not the only route affected. LYNX is proposing to cut trips, change routes, or adjust schedules on nearly 20 lines across Orange, Osceola, and Seminole counties starting in December. Only Link 701 would be discontinued entirely.
More than 63,000 people ride LYNX on an average weekday, but that number has been falling. Ridership dropped 6.2% from May 2025 to May 2026, and nearly 9.5% from June 2025 to June 2026. LYNX has not publicly explained the decline, though transit experts point to more people working from home and more riders turning to rideshare apps instead of the bus.
Dexter said he understands why LYNX is looking at his route. He said the morning bus to school is often nearly empty.
“Not too many. When we’re coming home, there’s about at least seven of us. When we’re going to school, there’s only like two, three of us,” Dexter said.
LYNX says the proposal is not just about cutting service, but shifting buses toward busier routes. One major change would reroute the line connecting Kissimmee to Orlando International Airport, pulling service away from Lake Nona, where ridership has been weak, and adding stops in busier areas near the airport.
For riders like Duclos, the change means scrambling for another way to get to class.
“Probably my parents, or I’m trying to figure it out. I don’t know,” Duclos said.
LYNX says a smaller shuttle could replace Link 701, though no plan has been finalized. The agency is holding public sessions to inform riders of the proposed changes. Public comment is open through Oct. 12, and the LYNX Board of Directors votes on the full proposal Oct. 22. If approved, the changes would take effect Dec. 13.
Riders can view the full list of proposed changes and provide feedback at LYNX’s December 2026 Service Proposal page.
Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
©2026 Cox Media Group
