The need to resolve Lynx bus service problems in Osceola County – brought on by dramatically increased ridership and reduced funding for the agency due to the Great Recession – will not go away anytime soon.

We expect that as we resolve certain pressing issues now, new problems will be identified as more people turn to mass transit as a transportation alternative and as population increases.

The improvements proposed by Lynx and approved Monday by the Osceola County Commission will go a long way to resolving current problems of on-time performance on Links 55 and 56, which run in the tourist corridor and to Disney, overcrowding on Link 26, which goes from Poinciana to the Osceola Square Mall in Kissimmee, and Link 426, which is entirely in Poinciana and which has seen problems making connections to other links.

The improvements come at no additional cost, since the county saw significant savings in December when Lynx established an Osceola County operations base. The fixes as approved Monday will make it easier for working people to get to their jobs without the high cost of operating a vehicle. Improved service along West U.S. Highway 192 also could help improve the experience that tourists have when using our mass transit system.

During the hear-the-audience portion of the commission meeting Monday, a Poinciana resident said it takes two hours and 27 minutes for her to get to work and three hours and 18 minutes to get home – over a route that would take 30 minutes by car. Those commute times are enough to dissuade most anyone from using mass transit. The problem, though, is that many residents for various reasons have no other alternative than to use the bus system.

The same resident also criticized Lynx for not being willing to come to Poinciana to generate identification cards for students who use Lynx buses to get to school, forcing parents and students to go to the downtown Orlando station to get the documents. That situation needs to change.

The main issue with Lynx has been that it has been hamstrung by operating deficits, which has forced the agency to dip into capital funding to offset the deficits. That means fewer buses being put on the street, and few buses means missed connections, overcrowding and riders being left on the side of the road when buses are full at peak times.

The bottom line is that we need a dedicated source of funding in our county for transportation.