HomeMy WebLinkAboutCC 05-05-2026 Item No. 1 Study Session SV Hopper Update _Staff PresentationCC - 05-05-2026
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Study Session: SV Hopper
Update
Presentation
About the Program
The service began as an 18-
month pilot program that went
live in October 2019.
Originally known as Via-
Cupertino, the service is now
branded as SV Hopper.
Silicon Valley Hopper
Program Overview
Matthew Schroeder, Senior Transportation Planner
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2019 Via-Cupertino Pilot Program
Service Area
City of Cupertino
El Camino Hospital
Sunnyvale Caltrain Station
Based on results from a 2018
planning effort initiated by
Council.
City of Cuperti…Powered by Esri2 mi
SV Hopper & Santa Clara Expansion
Santa Clara service launched on
November 20, 2023.
The City of Santa Clara
expansion will occur in two
phases over four years.
Phase I: Years 1-3
Phase 2: Year 4
County of Sant…Powered by Esri5 mi
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Vehicle Information
Zero-Emission Vehicle Fleet
10 all-electric Kia Niro vehicles
3 all-electric wheelchair-accessible Ford
eTransit vehicles
All Niros are equipped with bike racks to
accommodate up to 2 bikes
Vehicle Information
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In-App Information
The app also includes General Transit Feed
Specification (GTFS) integration to allow for
multimodal trip planning to Caltrain.
To improve ease of use and support regional
connectivity, SV Hopper is actively working to
enable Clipper card payments to integrate payment
methods when connecting with Bay Area transit.
Current Service Area
Earthstar Geographics Powered by Esri5 mi
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Service Details
Fares
$3.50 standard rate
$1.75 discounted rate (students, seniors, low-
income, and people with disabilities)
$1 for each additional rider
Operating Hours
7 AM to 7 PM: Monday through Friday
9 AM to 5 PM: Saturday
No Sunday service
Rules
Students ages 13 to 17 need parental consent to
ride alone.
Wheelchair-accessible vehicles (WAVs) are
available, and individuals with disabilities will
receive door-to-door service.
Over-the-phone bookings are available through a
dispatcher.
How Does it Work?
Unlike Uber and Lyft, which are
door-to-door TNCs, Via is an on-
demand corner-to-corner
rideshare service.
This approach allows for
improved efficiency and
predictable system performance.
4/30/26, 11:10 AM Silicon Valley (SV) Hopper
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How to Ride
1. Download the app from the
App Store and create an
account.
2. Input your destination and
book your ride.
3. Meet your driver.
Program Funding
In 2022, the City was awarded $8.5M in Transit
and Intercity Rail Capital Program (TIRCP) Cycle
5 funding to expand service into Santa Clara and
improve access to passenger rail transit. This
award funds half the program through June
2027.
Received $500,000 in TFCA funding.
Received $727,000 in Measure B Innovative
Transit Program funding.
Received $1.2M in Community Project Funding
from the Office of Congressman Ro Khanna.
The cities split the remaining program costs
balance based on service area.
Grants 58.9%Cupertino 21.3%
Santa Clara 19.8%
Grants Cupertino Santa Clara
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County of Santa Clara | California State Parks | Esri | TomTom | Gar…Powered by Esri
Rides Since July 2023
2025 Completed Rides by Month, Day, and Hour
103,468
Completed Rides
332
385 364 386
334
172
Rides 200
0
Mon Wed Fri
Day of Week
22 23
28 29 27 30 31 33
38
30
23
14
Rides
0
7am 9am
11am 1pm 3pm 5pm
Time of Day
Daily average ride requests - (511, ~1/minute on
weekdays)
Daily average met demand (476) - 93%
Daily average completed rides (327) - 63%
Daily average unaccepted proposals (107) - 21%
Daily average seat unavailable (36) - 7%
Daily average cancellations (31) - 6%
Daily average no show (10) - 2%
Rides &
Requests
10K
Jan March May July Sep Nov
Month
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2025 Wait Times by Hour and Day of Week
Wait times vary throughout the day and coincide with peak
demand periods.
Average pickup ETA is 17 minutes.
Average pickup ETA among all requests where a ride
proposal was displayed.
15
18 17
14 13
17 18 18 20 20 20
16
Wait Time
20
10
0
7 AM 9 AM 11 AM 1 PM 3 PM 5 PM
Time of Day
17 18 17 17 15 14
Wait Time
10
0
Mon Tues Wed Thurs Fri Sat
Day of Week
2025 Shared Bookings
SV Hopper is a Rideshare Service
This share of bookings that had some boarded time
shared with another booking. 47% of SV Hopper
trips are shared rides.
47
52
48 48
40
29
% Shared Bookings
40
20
0
Mon Tues Wed Thurs Fri Sat
Day of Week
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Recommended Funding Approach
Apply for TIRCP Cycle 8
City of Cupertino + City of Santa Clara
Altamont Corridor Express (ACE)
Continued funding for the complete service area.
Greater opportunities to potentially leverage employer
contributions for future service.
Provides funding to bridge the gap until Sunnyvale can
potentially become a partner.
Improving shuttle service on Grey and Yellow routes
Due to limited grant funding programs to sustain
ongoing operations, staff must consider unique
partnerships and technologies to enhance
competitiveness.
County of Santa Clara | Califo…Powered by Esri
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Recommended Action
TIRCP Cycle 8
Provide direction authorizing staff to pursue
future grant funding opportunities for SV
Hopper, including TIRCP Cycle 8 and any other
funding opportunities that may become
available.
Next Steps
Launch expanded service into North Santa Clara
starting July 1, 2026.
Return to Council in winter '26/'27 to provide an
update on grants and an expansion summary.
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Questions?
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