Sunnyvale residents can now literally get on board with one of the newest public transportation trends: hailing a ride with a local microtransit service.
City officials on Tuesday officially launched Sunnyvale Beam with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at City Hall, two weeks after the service quietly started operating. Through the Beam app or with a phone call, riders can be picked up anywhere in Sunnyvale and travel to any destination within the city. The all-electric vehicle service operates 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday to Friday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends, with a cost of $3.50 per person per ride — though older adults, teens, low-income residents and people with disabilities get a lower rate of $1.75.
The service, which utilizes six Kia Nero SUVs and three Ford E-Transit vans, has provided 800 rides since Aug. 18.
“This is not us just adding another transportation service. It’s about expanding mobility,” Sunnyvale City Manager Tim Kirby said at the ceremony. “We’re giving the community a chance to make more affordable transportation choices and more opportunities to get where they need to go.”
Sunnyvale resident Jim Van Pernis (right) completes a test ride with Sunnyvale Beam. Photo by Mike Langberg.
Sunnyvale officials and residents gathered at City Hall to celebrate the launch of Sunnyvale Beam, a ride-hailing microtransit service, on Sept. 1, 2026. Photo by Mike Langberg.
Sunnyvale residents can now literally get on board with one of the newest public transportation trends: hailing a ride with a local microtransit service.
City officials on Tuesday officially launched Sunnyvale Beam with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at City Hall, two weeks after the service quietly started operating. Through the Beam app or with a phone call, riders can be picked up anywhere in Sunnyvale and travel to any destination within the city. The all-electric vehicle service operates 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday to Friday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends, with a cost of $3.50 per person per ride — though older adults, teens, low-income residents and people with disabilities get a lower rate of $1.75.
The service, which utilizes six Kia Nero SUVs and three Ford E-Transit vans, has provided 800 rides since Aug. 18.
“This is not us just adding another transportation service. It’s about expanding mobility,” Sunnyvale City Manager Tim Kirby said at the ceremony. “We’re giving the community a chance to make more affordable transportation choices and more opportunities to get where they need to go.”
These services aim to protect the environment by closing the “last mile” gap between where people live or work and the nearest public transit stops, as well as providing an alternative to car ownership. Low fares make microtransit particularly appealing to older adults and high school students.
The flip side is that microtransit can be expensive. SV Hopper, which expanded into northern Santa Clara in July, spent an average of $32 for each individual ride in 2025, according to a Cupertino city report. The high cost can make microtransit, often supported by state and federal grants, unsustainable. Morgan Hill, for example, had to end its MoGo service in February 2025 for lack of funding.
Sunnyvale, however, has already built 20 years of funding for Beam into its municipal budget, including a state grant that will cover half the annual operating cost of $1.6 million for the first five years.
“In Sunnyvale, we don’t like to start services that we can’t sustain,” Kirby told San José Spotlight.
Sunnyvale dipped its toe into microtransit last year with Peery Park Rides, a pilot program with Via that primarily serves commuters at office parks in northwest Sunnyvale. Peery Park Rides is funded through February 2027 and the city is exploring options for the service to continue with private funding.
“In Sunnyvale, we don’t like to start services that we can’t sustain,” Kirby told San José Spotlight.
Sunnyvale dipped its toe into microtransit last year with Peery Park Rides, a pilot program with Via that primarily serves commuters at office parks in northwest Sunnyvale. Peery Park Rides is funded through February 2027 and the city is exploring options for the service to continue with private funding.