A competitive grant will allow Sunnyvale to build a city-wide shuttle system.
At its most recent meeting, Feb. 24, the Sunnyvale City Council approved allocating $4.17 million toward supporting the program for five years. The grant covers half of the $8.35 million, with a city match for the remainder.
Angela Obesa, the city’s transportation and traffic manager, called securing such a competitive grant in such short order a “big lift and a big win.”
The program is designed to be a first-mile/last-mile shuttle service. It will consist of nine shuttles, available on demand through an app or by calling. Three of the shuttles will be wheelchair accessible, while the remainder will have bike storage.
Lilian Tsang, principal transportation engineer/planner, said the program enhances the city’s goals of reducing greenhouse gases, improving public transit to increase ridership, integrating rail service and increasing safety.
The shuttles will operate 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. One-way fare costs $3.50 with a $1.75 discount for students, seniors, the handicapped and poor, with a $1 upcharge for each additional passenger. The average wait time for a ride is estimated at 15 minutes.
The system will be managed by New York-based Via Transportation, which also manages the city’s Peery Park Rides program.
Joe Martin, vice president of partnerships for Via, said the company can set the in-app language to the default language on the passenger’s phone.
Details about what areas the service will serve, hours and how many drivers to have available remain to be seen. Wanting to move quickly to get the program underway, the city will adjust as it gathers data.
Many advocacy groups that provide services for the poor supported the program.
Paulina Zapata, with Sunnyvale Community Services, implored the council to extend the network beyond Sunnyvale’s border to “reflect real travel patterns.”
“Every day we see how access to reliable transportation determines whether someone can get to school, work or medical care. Transportation is not just mobility. It is the foundation for stability and opportunity,” Zapata said. “Transportation stability supports housing stability. It supports workforce participation. It supports education attainment, and it strengthens overall quality of life.”
Even business leaders sang the program’s praises.
Kerry Haywood, executive director Moffett Park Business Group, said the action will strengthen the city’s transportation network and ensure that existing transit investments deliver their full value, filling the most critical gaps.
But not everyone praised the program.
One commenter, Zack K., questioned what would happen after the grant money ran out.
“What better way to display prudent fiscal restraint than create a new large entitlement?” he said. “One can come up with all sorts of wonderful things the city could spend money on that would meaningfully improve a fraction of the population’s life … no need to worry about the economy.”
City Manager Tim Kirby told the council the city does not have a plan to fund the program once the grant money is exhausted. He told the council he “strongly” recommends the council “not rely on grants to fund this in the future.”
While many council members had suggestions for how to tweak the program, all said they understood that seeing the data is necessary before that step.
Vice Mayor Richard Mehlinger compared it to a “minimally viable product.” He added that having the program stand alone in Sunnyvale instead of being connected to the SV Hopper program in Cupertino and Santa Clara would benefit residents.
“How you move around a city is one of the most important ways that you experience and live somewhere,” Council Member Alysa Cisneros said.
The council unanimously supported the program. It is scheduled to launch in September.
The council meets again at 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 10 in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 456 W. Olive Ave. in Sunnyvale.
To submit public comments ahead of the meeting, visit http://Sunnyvale.ca.gov/PublicComments; Meeting online link: https://sunnyvale-ca-gov.zoom.us/j/96111580540; meeting call-in telephone number: 833-548-0276, meeting ID: 961 1158 0540
Contact David Alexander at d.todd.alexander@gmail.com
Previous Sunnyvale City Council Meetings:
Sunnyvale Establishes Stances on State Laws
Year-end Budget Shows Sunnyvale in the Black
Sunnyvale Bicycling Advocates Score Victory Over Disgruntled Neighbors
Developer Fees to Bolster Sunnyvale’s Available Pool for Below-Market Housing
