LYNX launches electric bus project connecting region’s busiest areas

Nov. 8, 2021

The pilot project will run Nov. 8 through Dec. 4 and connect the region’s largest airport, Orange County Convention Center and downtown Orlando.

Mischa Wanek-Libman

A product shot of a Van Hool electric motorcoach. The same model of vehicle will be used on LYNX's new zero-emission pilot project FASTLINK ZERO, which launched Nov. 8.

The Central Florida Regional Transportation Authority (LYNX) will begin a pilot project Nov. 8 that will provide connections between Orlando International Airport, Sand Lake Road SunRail Station, Orange County Convention Center and Destination Parkway Superstop in downtown Orlando on zero-emission vehicles.

This route will operate as FASTLINK ZERO along S.R. 528 with bus headways of 60 minutes. The new pilot route will use ABC Companies' Van Hool electric bus motorcoach, which is equipped with Proterra’s energy-dense battery system and Siemens ELFA II Motor.

LYNX explains riders can transfer to an electric Proterra bus on Link 38 at the Destination Parkway SuperStop and travel downtown to LYNX Central Station, where they can hop on an electric LYMMO Orange Line bus to the Orange County Administration Building or Orlando City Hall.

The FASTLINK Zero service will demonstrate the potential of a zero-emission trip that will enhance the passenger experience with more direct connections throughout the region.

LYNX’s LYMMO buses began to transition to an all-electric fleet in October 2020 with a goal of being fully electric in mid-2022.

LYNX’s partners in the FASTLINK ZERO project include the Orange County government, city of Orlando, Orange County Convention Center, the Orlando Utilities Commission and the Central Florida Expressway Authority. The service will stop at Sand Lake Road SunRail Station on weekdays only. Service will not operate on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 25, and the pilot project will end Dec. 4.

About the Author

Mischa Wanek-Libman | Editor in Chief

Mischa Wanek-Libman serves as editor in chief of Mass Transit magazine. She is responsible for developing and maintaining the magazine’s editorial direction and is based in the western suburbs of Chicago.

Wanek-Libman has spent more than 20 years covering transportation issues including construction projects and engineering challenges for various commuter railroads and transit agencies. She has been recognized for editorial excellence through her individual work, as well as for collaborative content.

She is an active member of the American Public Transportation Association's Marketing and Communications Committee and serves as a Board Observer on the National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association (NRC) Board of Directors.

She is a graduate of Drake University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and Mass Communication with a major in magazine journalism and a minor in business management.