City of Sugar Land explores future with autonomous cable rail system

Focusing on convenience and sustainability, Sugar Land has joined forces with Swyft Cities to explore the Whoosh® cable transportation system, which aims to meet the growing public transportation needs of society.

The Whoosh® system uses compact electric vehicles resembling gondolas that travel along networks of elevated cables. Unlike traditional public transportation systems, these vehicles operate autonomously and travel directly without intermediate stops.

Swyft Cities explains that Whoosh is designed to be modular and cost-effective, allowing for future expansion as the city grows.

If implemented, the system will provide direct and uninterrupted access to popular destinations in Sugar Land. Candy Land Town Square, Smart Financial Center.

In a recent survey, Sugar Land residents ranked mobility as a top priority.

Sugar Land City Manager Michael W. Goodrum He emphasized the city’s commitment to meeting this need: “Our citizens have told us that mobility is among their top priorities, and we are committed to being responsive to their needs by providing opportunities to invest in projects they say are important. “But we will be equally relentless in seeking opportunities like this to reduce the financial impact for our residents while partnering with state and federal funding sources to deliver mobility projects that support quality of life, economic development and tourism.”

Initial engineering schematics examining route configurations, station locations and other technical requirements are expected to be completed by the end of this year.

Once the project moves beyond planning, the projected timeline calls for an 18-26 month rollout, covering phases such as design, permitting and construction.

Sugar Land is taking a proactive role in developing innovative transportation systems and recently partnered with Wisk Aero to develop vertiports for autonomous air taxis.

Swyft Cities CEO Jeral Poskey shared the excitement of the partnership between Sugar Land and KPRC 2, describing the city as a national pioneer in innovative solutions for growing transportation needs.

“Our goal in working with the City of Candytown is more than just easing traffic congestion. It’s about transforming the way people move and ensuring Sugar Land continues to grow and improve the quality of life for residents.

One of the visual advantages of the Whoosh system is its modular structure, requiring very little land at street level. We can start with a relatively small system and easily expand as needs change and the city continues to grow. We see Whoosh as part of a diverse public transportation and mobility network the city is building to serve its residents.

The timetable is as follows: We are currently carrying out an engineering scheme study with the Council looking at potential routes and station locations. This work could be completed later this year. In the meantime, the City is working to build partnerships with the private sector and state and federal funds to avoid the burden on local taxpayers. “From there, the City estimates it could take approximately two years for the project to be operational (approximately 3-6 months planning and design, 6-8 months permitting and procurement, and 6-12 months construction and testing; 18-26 months total).”

Next steps

• The city is currently in discussions with the Texas Department of Transportation and other key stakeholders to finalize initial route configurations and operational details.

• Funding sources through the Houston-Galveston Regional Council and other federal avenues are being actively sought to reduce costs.

• A stakeholder meeting with affected property owners is also planned to provide comprehensive community engagement and feedback.

Residents can sign up for notifications through for updates on this project. Candy Land City’s website.

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