This evening, Tuesday March 26, Sunnyvale City Council will decide whether to apply for grants to provide city shuttle services.  

The first option is to expand SV Hopper, a local shuttle service  that recently expanded from Cupertino to South Santa Clara,  Riders can order Hopper with an app, between 7am and 7pm Monday through Friday and 9am to 5pm on Saturday, and get dropped off at select designated street corners near their intended destination.  Trips cost $3.50, with discounted fares at $1.75 for students, seniors, individuals with disabilities, and low-income persons.   

The service is a public-private partnership with private provider VIA working with the cities.  According to the Sunnyvale staff report, VIA provided an estimate showing that each ride could require a subsidy of almost $20 assuming about 2,250 rides per week and using the same fares as SV Hopper.  

To join the Hopper program, Sunnyvale would apply for a Transit & Intercity Rail Capital Program (TIRCP) grant, which is due July 23, 2024. Cost for this type of program could be between $3-$4 million per year for the entire program.  Assuming the City obtains a grant that covers 50% of the cost, the City would be responsible for about $1.5M to $2M per year. After the duration of the grant, the City would be responsible for the cost.. 

A second option is to provide a shuttle service focused on Sunnyvale, in partnership with the VTA and the cities of Gilroy, Morgan Hill, Milpitas, San Jose and San Benito.  The standalone program is proposed to operate 6 days per week for 12 hours a day.  City staff already submitted a grant application to the US Environmental for this program, for $24,000,000 over 5 years. which was due on April 1. 

Sunnyvale had started by exploring a shuttle system to help local Fremont and Homestead high schoolers, and realized that a high school only service may be too narrow to be viable, but there were broader needs.  Another option could be to work with a rideshare company to create a program to serve that community. The program could start with a $100,000 cost per year; usage and potentially expand from there.

The new shuttle program would be additional to the already-funded Peery Park shuttle, a pilot being run in partnership with VTA that will connect Sunnyvale Caltrain and the Peery Park office park during commuting hours and provide a flexible transportation option to other destinations during off-peak hours.  Peery Park Rides will begin in fall 2024 and will be free to riders in the service area.  Total cost for this program is almost $2 million for a two-year pilot program. The City’s share is $500,000. 

A city shuttle service would help the city achieve its goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 56% from 1990 levels before 2030. In the city’s general plan and climate action playbook, expanding shuttles and electric vehicles are repeatedly highlighted as necessary goals._,

To make a public comment, Interested members of the public looking to tune into the council meeting can do so on the Sunnyvale YouTube page at seven p.m. Tuesday.

You can watch and comment on the meeting online, using this Zoom link. Or join in person at Sunnyvale City Hall 456 W. Olive Ave. The Shuttle item is the first item on the regular business agenda, and will come up not long after the start time of 7pm.

This article includes research and writing by David Newman.