Sugar Land commuters could soon be enjoying a bird's eye view as they travel across the city in gondola lift-like vehicles suspended from elevated cables.
City officials have been in discussions to build a self-driving elevated cable and rail system that could be complete in two to three years, according to the city's website.
The city and Swyft Cities, a provider of urban mobility systems, entered an agreement to study bringing a transportation system, called Whoosh, to Sugar Land as a part of a Google project in the greater Houston region, according to a news release. The new transportation system could provide stops to Sugar Land Town Square, Smart Financial Centre and other destinations.
Officials plan to conduct an engineering schematic study to examine how the new transportation system could operate in the city, including potential routes and station locations, according to the release.
"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," City Manager Michael W. Goodrum said in a statement.
The transportation system will use small electric vehicles, resembling conventional gondolas, with autonomous technologies to move along elevated fixed cables and rails, according to the release. The trips would be quick, with no stops at intermediate stations.
Sugar Land could be the first city in the nation to use Whoosh and serve as an example of how to innovate urban transportation systems, according to officials. The city and Swyft Cities will use public-private partnerships to minimize financial burdens and risks for the city, officials said in the release. Since the city's partnering with the private sector, the project is not taxpayer-supported.
"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," Goodrum said.
Swyft Cities CEO Jeral Poskey said in a statement that they're excited to partner with the city to bring a new level of fast and convenient mobility to help support the region since it's quickly growing.
"The city of Sugar Land is emerging as a global leader in implementing advanced transportation infrastructures introducing exciting new ways to meet their growing mobility needs not only for today, but for the future as well," he said.
City officials will continue working with Swyft Cities to plan the potential route configurations, technical details, costs and other aspects of the project. The city met with Texas Department of Transportation officials about the project. Parts of the design that cross State Highway 6 and U.S. Highway 59/Interstate-69 must be reviewed and approved.
The study may be completed later this year, according to the release. The city estimates the project will include about 3-6 months of planning and design, 6-8 months of permitting and procurement and 6-12 months of construction and testing.
Sugar Land has introduced multiple mobility initiatives this year. Recently, the city launched the microtransit program, which uses a fleet of cars to provide public transportation in an 18-square-mile zone that includes the Sugar Land Business Park, hospitals, grocery stores, Constellation Field, Smart Financial Centre, University of Houston at Sugar Land and Sugar Land Town Center.
Fort Bend Transit has also expanded bus services, including the addition of a trip from Needville this year. The transit system started a route to downtown Houston in March.
(c)2024 the Houston Chronicle. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Sugar Land Explores Self-Driving Cable and Rail System
Officials plan to conduct an engineering schematic study to examine how the new transportation system could operate in the city, including potential routes and station locations.
