ORLANDO, Fla. — Orlando city leaders are making changes to their Ride DTO service. The program offers affordable rides throughout downtown and free rides for seniors.
Monday afternoon, the Orlando City Council approved a three-year contract with Freebee to provide Ride DTO services. That’s the same company that provides Scout rides for people in Seminole County.
Dave Harris is familiar with the Ride DTO app. He uses the service almost every day for $1 per ride.
“I live downtown on Lake Eola, and it goes everywhere downtown,” Harris said. “So I’ll take it to church. I take it to the bar, so whatever I’m doing, I’m using DTO usually.”
Neil Ferris has driven for Ride DTO for five months. He says many senior citizens enjoy the free rides and rely on the service.
“I pick up a lot of places like Magnolia Towers and Kinnerack, and I take them to Publix, and I take them back whenever they call back,” Ferris said.
The Ride DTO program launched nearly two years ago, and the city says it has provided about 50,000 rides to 72,000 riders. The current contract with Circuit Transit is set to expire soon.
Justin Eason, Assistant Director of the Downtown Development Board, says Freebee will have five vehicles a day on the roads, the same as the current setup.
“The new provider will be bringing larger vehicles, all of which will be air-conditioned, and one of which will be ADA accessible,” Eason said.
Eason says survey results show riders want to use Ride DTO in the evenings, so the city is expanding hours from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. to cover 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Harris says that will be great if he is at a restaurant for dinner.
“(Right) now I have to either walk home or take a Lyft,” Harris said.
City leaders say Freebee will officially take over the Ride DTO program this December. Users will be able to use a mobile app or call a phone number to hail a ride.
Circuit Transit, Inc. sent Spectrum News a statement for this story. It said: “Since launching Ride DTO in 2024, Circuit has become incredibly popular among residents, workers and visitors. The service has moved thousands of passengers per month and helped establish an affordable, all-electric transportation option in downtown Orlando.”
It goes on to say, “We appreciate the support Ride DTO has received from the community, and we’re proud of the efficient and cost-effective service design implemented in the area. The downtown service stood out as one of the stronger services in the state, from a cost-per-rider perspective, while also creating jobs and reducing emissions. We’ll continue to keep in touch with the City regarding future plans development.”