Milpitas gets $2.77 million VTA grant for city's SMART program

Milpitas received a $2.77 million VTA grant to expand the SMART on-demand rideshare. Funding will increase fleet and service hours by 50%, pilot autonomous vehicle feasibility, add in-app tools to link riders with VTA buses and light rail, and engage local businesses. Since late 2022, SMART completed over 100 rides; in July 2025 it provided 5,934 rides, 4,537 serving disadvantaged and transit-dependent users. The Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority is soliciting public input via a survey open until Sept. 30 to plan trail connections between Coyote Valley Open Space Preserve and over 1,500 acres of protected valley lands; the survey is available in four languages.

"The City of Milpitas has been awarded a $2.77 million grant from the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) to support the continuation and expansion of the Milpitas SMART (Simple, Mobile, Access to Reliable Transit) program, an on-demand rideshare service designed to meet the needs of transit-dependent residents. The grant funding comes from VTA's Innovative Transit Service Models Grant Program."

"The grant will be used to increase the city's SMART fleet and service hours by 50%; start a pilot program to evaluate the feasibility of using autonomous vehicles; develop in-app tools to help users connect with VTA buses and light rail; and reach out to local businesses to support the SMART program. More than 100 SMART rides have been completed since the program launched in late 2022."

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