Through the first City-County partnership of its kind in North Carolina, Sanford and Lee County are closer to the launch of the community’s first on-demand microtransit service connecting local riders to work, school, medical appointments, and more.
At its August 26, 2025, workshop, Sanford City Council approved several recommendations from the Microtransit Advisory Board. The first line of business was choosing the name and brand for the service.
Council agreed with the board’s selection of the name “Buzzline.” The brand features a fresh and bright color palette with a logo that includes both a bee and a map pin.
“The name evokes movement and community while being easy to remember,” says David Montgomery, Long Range Planner for the City of Sanford and project coordinator. “This name also plays on Sanford’s status as a Bee City USA affiliate along with the NC Cooperative Extension-Lee County Center’s pollinator program.”
In addition to the name and brand, Council set the service’s hours of operation as weekdays from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. and weekends from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. The service, administered by the County of Lee Transportation System (COLTS) through a Memorandum of Understanding between the City and County, will operate within a designated pilot zone area identified in the original feasibility study based on the community’s needs.
Buzzline’s primary zone was developed using a Transportation Disadvantage Index that identified areas where populations have the most limited transportation access. “The plan is to start with this designated area, add in key points, and then expand as the service gets established,” Montgomery says.
Those key points will be limited to large places of employment, the Raleigh Exec Jetport, and the Sanford branch of the DMV. “These locations are some of the prime destinations for the current COLTS passengers,” explains Debbie Davidson, Mobility Manager for the County of Lee. “There is a proven need for on-demand microtransit service to these areas.”
“Currently, COLTS requires users to book travel within the county at least 24 hours in advance for a guaranteed ride,” Davidson says. With Buzzline, users will be able to schedule a pickup with approximately 25 minutes notice for travel inside the designated service area.
“Riders from outside the service area can still arrange to be connected within the primary zone with enough notice through the regular COLTS paratransit service,” Davidson notes.
Software company CTS Trip Master has been chosen to provide the technology necessary to offer on-demand service. Trip Master is the leading technology program in North Carolina and serves clients across the country. In addition to a wealth of experience, the company offers adaptability and flexibility with guaranteed customer support.
The on-demand microtransit initiative is funded through the N.C. Department of Transportation’s Mobility for Everyone, Everywhere in NC (MEE NC) Grant, which seeks to expand high quality, on-demand transit services in rural low-income communities through micro mobility services.
One of only 11 communities chosen for the project, the City will receive $3.4 million over three years to help offset the costs associated with providing microtransit services to riders.
Buzzline is anticipated to launch in the late fall with a booking website, mobile app, and its own line of wrapped, accessible vehicles that will differentiate it from the paratransit service offered through COLTS.
For more information, contact David Montgomery at 919-718-4657 ext. 5392 or david.montgomery@sanfordnc.net.