The future is coming. Houston area Sugar Land has recently entered a partnership with Swyft Cities to bring an autonomous elevated cable and rail system to city skies .
Earlier this October, Sugar Land announced that it has partnered with Google spinoff and advanced urban mobility provider, Swyft Cities, in attempt to bring the futuristic Whoosh transportation system to the Houston area. As stated in the press release, Whoosh utilizes aerial and autonomous electric carts that which resemble gondolas among an elevated rail and cable network.
According to the release, the city is presently preparing to conduct a preemptive engineering schematic study for potential routes and station locations for the aerial gondola network – the statement also notes that the study would also examine how to institute the network levying public-private partnership funds to reduce costs for residents. Organizers expect for parties to conclude their study by the end of this year.
Sugar Land hopes that it would become one of the first cities in the United States to implement the Whoosh transportation system.
“We couldn’t be more excited to partner on a project that’s unlike anything else in the nation,” said City Manager Michael W. Goodrum in a release.
“Whoosh® checks all the boxes. It’s innovative, bold, and trailblazing. Our residents have told us that mobility is among their top priorities, and we are committed to being responsive to their needs by providing opportunities for projects they tell us are important. We will be relentless in looking for opportunities like this one to partner with state and federal funding sources to reduce the financial impact to our residents while also delivering mobility projects that support quality of life, economic development and tourism.”
This isn’t Sugar Land’s first foray into air travel. Earlier this year, Sugar Land announced their partnership with Wisk, a company that specializes in all-electric autonomous aircraft.