With unanimous approval from the Palo Alto City Council, the Palo Alto Link will extend its transportation service through June 2025. Launched in March 2023, the rideshare program, operated by Nomad Transportation, currently provides $3.50 rides within Palo Alto — discounted to $1 for youth, seniors, disabled and low-income community members. However, starting in December, all fares will increase to $4 with no discounted rates.

Since the initial $2 million Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority grant that funded the program expired in October, the city acquired a $1.2 million deal with Nomad Transportation and other external funding totaling over $1 million. However, the service is too costly to continue indefinitely, so The Campaniles believes the city should consider replacing Link with a shuttle.

To maintain and potentially expand Link into the future, some council members have talked about having the city work with Tesla and use its Cybercab, a driverless vehicle. At an investor conference, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said the vehicles will “probably” be in production before 2027. But as of Oct. 4, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Tesla has not yet applied for a permit or been given federal exemptions — required for vehicles without a steering wheel and pedals.

Currently, Waymo makes one of the most publicly available self-driving taxis. While Tesla may be further ahead in the process than when Waymo started testing in 2009, it took nearly 10 years for Waymo to receive clearance from California to transport passengers in a driverless vehicle.

So not only will the Cybercab not be an option for Link’s 2025 contract renewal, but it is also unlikely it will be available in the years directly after. While The Campanile supports working with Tesla to increase travel efficiency, decrease costs and support climate goals once the Cybercab gains regulatory approval, we do not think a scalable partnership will be probable in the next few years.

However, public transportation is crucial for many Palo Alto residents. According to a Palo Alto Office of Transportation survey of 265 Link riders, 46% do not have access to a personal vehicle, so it is necessary for the city to prepare a plan for public transportation after 2025 in case Cybercabs are unavailable and Link is unable to receive required funding from grants.

If Palo Alto cannot guarantee future funding for Link, The Campanile advises the city to invest in a shuttle service instead. Starting in 1999, the city funded a free shuttle service, but it closed down in 2020 due to financial concerns intensified by the COVID-19 pandemic. When it received the VTA grant, city officials replaced the shuttle with Link, a temporarily cheaper alternative. However, once the grant expires and Palo Alto has to start funding Link independently, the rideshare service would cost the city more than a free shuttle service.

Currently, Link operates from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays, and according to a March report by the Palo Alto Office of Transportation, the projected 12-month cost until June 2025 is $2.3 million, ignoring outside grants. Alternatively, a 2017 study of the previous shuttle service estimated annual costs for three routes through Palo Alto at the same schedule as Link to be around $1.8 million — though costs may be slightly greater now. In the last year of the free shuttle service, the costs were around $10 per trip compared to $24 per Link ride with the $4 fare.

Pricing the shuttle at around or less than Link’s original $1 fare would be cheaper for both the city and riders — even providing a free shuttle service would be less costly for the city than providing $4 Link rides. Furthermore, the shuttle service would be more effective in serving the Palo Alto community. Due to high demand, Link no longer provides rides to and from middle and high schools during start and dismissal times.

However, out of the Crosstown, Embarcadero and South Palo Alto shuttle routes, both the Embarcadero and South Palo Alto routes would be able to carry students to and from school, decreasing traffic. This would also encourage students to limit driving to school, which increased from 2016 to 2021 — likely caused by the lack of shuttle service, according to the city — supporting the city’s Safe Routes to School initiative.

In addition to helping students get to school, the shuttle service would be effective in assisting the broader community. With 10 cars already costing over $2 million per year, Link does not have as much financial leeway compared to the shuttle. Link completed over 50,000 rides in the first year. Meanwhile, the free shuttle — with only two routes — served 140,000 riders per year, saving money while also assisting a wider population. With scheduled times and consistent availability, the shuttle would provide more reliability for community members, especially seniors and those with disabilities.

For public transportation, especially for a service that costs millions of dollars per year, we think Palo Alto should prioritize serving those without the ability to drive and consider the long-term costs of Link. With a free or $1 shuttle, all community members would be able to afford and utilize the service without limiting others’ access. While we encourage the city to invest in innovation and provide new technology to better our community, The Campanile also values ensuring a consistent, easily available service that supports those in need without placing a significant financial burden on the community, which, in the next few years, we believe is not possible through the current Link program.