Diaz is the executive director of Central Florida Jobs with Justice. Her job includes talking to Lynx riders about what they like and don’t like about Central Florida’s public transit system.

As an avid Lynx rider for years, she discovered that getting to and from work is one of the toughest challenges for Orlandoans. So she decided to talk with more Lynx users about their commuting experience. Most passengers shared similar opinions on fare prices, the need for more direct routes, and the level of comfort and inclusion they felt when riding through the city.

Diaz would then take her findings to Lynx officials in hopes of improving the system.

We’re not the only ones talking about the future of Lynx, as just last week Orlando Sentinel’s Scott Maxwell shared an opinion piece on Lynx’s shortcomings and found that a lack of funding for the system was at the core of its problems.

With people like Diaz at the helm, the hope is that there will be real systemic change to Lynx and Orlando’s public transit systems.

Find out what else Diaz had to say in our interview with her here, and learn more about the work of Central Florida Jobs with Justice.

Also, get to know the rest of our transit changemakers here. 

University of Central Florida President Dale Whittaker has submitted his resignation after a six-month-long battle of the school’s misuse of $38 million. Originally allocated as unspent operating funds reserved for general and educational expenses, the $38 million was instead used to construct an academic hall, the newly opened Trevor Colbourn Hall.

Whittaker is not the first to leave his post, but is most certainly, the most surprising. He tweeted that he’s resigning but “with the conviction that I have always acted with integrity.”

We first learned about the misspending of funds last summer, and in January, the UCF’s Board of Trustees voted not to continue with the auditor firm’s probe into UCF’s new construction but the Board of Governors overturned the vote and continued the investigation.

Then earlier this month, Whittaker was one of many employees and former employees to receive a subpoena.

In a letter to the UCF Board of Trustees, Whittaker said, “It has been made clear to me that one additional step is needed. … I have concluded that for UCF to succeed with our state leaders in the future, new leadership will be required.”

In other news…

• Autonomous shuttles are making their way to Central Florida, and one of two proposed self-driving buses will soon be seen maneuvering around Lake Nona. (Orlando Sentinel)
• A local blogger revealed Universal’s plans for a new Harry Potter rollercoaster, and it’s magical. (Orlando Weekly)
• Patti Sheehan has announced that she will be running for re-election to represent District 4. (Orlando Weekly)
• President Trump is awaiting Congress to approve the plan for a Space Coast military branch, the first new military branch since 1947. Gov. Ron DeSantis tweeted that he was formally requesting to place the Space Force HQ in the Space Coast for obvious reasons. (Orlando Sentinel)

PSST DON’T FORGET … 🤞

… to refer a friend so you can win those sweet Field to Feast tickets.

See you tomorrow,

— Pulptown