The Mountain View Community Shuttle (MVCS) is successfully driving into its third year of operation and there’s a lot to celebrate! The MVCS, a free shuttle service for the residents and visitors of Mountain View, is the product of a successful partnership between the City of Mountain View and Google. And the company behind the scenes? ALTRANS.

Google hired local transportation expert, ALTRANS, to develop, implement, and co-manage the city-wide transit program. For over 25 years, ALTRANS has mitigated traffic through a wide range of services including Transportation Demand Management plans, shuttle services, ridematch programs, and more. With ALTRANS’ help, along with shuttle bus operator WeDriveU, the MVCS two-year pilot period has been a success.

Over the last two years, the MVCS has undergone a number of program improvements including a real-time bus arrival map available on the MVCS website, two additional shuttle stops, and MVCS trip planning on Google Maps. Along with service improvements, the shuttle has seen phenomenal ridership— over 150,000 passengers rode the MVCS in 2016. Michael Wooley-Ousdahl, Transportation Operations Manager at Google, stated that the ridership numbers are a 60% increase to their original projections.

And how do the riders feel about the MVCS? Gerald, a resident of the area, stated, “It’s great! It’s free, very convenient, and takes you everywhere. I ride it every day.” And others agree— based on the annual ridership survey, 98% would recommend the MVCS service. Because of the program’s success, Google, the current fiscal sponsor of the pilot, plans to continue funding the MVCS for its third year.

With six electric buses at 16 seats each, the MVCS has a total of 50 stops throughout Mountain View. In addition to the free (yes free!) fare, these blue-and-white shuttles have bike racks, free WiFi, and ADA compliant lifts. The MVCS operates seven days a week, from 10AM to 6PM. On weekdays, shuttles run every 30 minutes and on weekends and holidays, every hour.

So hop on the Mountain View Community Shuttle and see what ALTRANS is doing in the community. Ride the shuttle and enjoy lunch in downtown, connect with Caltrain and Light Rail, visit a doctor at El Camino Hospital, or shop at the San Antonio Shopping Center along the way!

Visit http://mvcommunityshuttle.com/ to learn more.