DALLAS — Swyft Cities, in partnership with local transportation officials, is evaluating five potential cities to host its "elevated cable and rail system."
Five North Texas cities - Dallas, Plano, Arlington, Frisco and DeSoto - have expressed interest in being home to the alternative public transportation. The transportation system, known as Whoosh, uses electric vehicles that look like aerial gondolas but use technology to move independently on an aerial network of cables and rails, according to a press release from Swyft Cities.
The vehicles would be on demand, like Uber, and make no stops at intermediate stations, the release states.
The project was developed at Google in 2019 before being spun into an independent business.
Now Swyft Cities, in partnership with the North Central Texas Council of Governments will evaluate potential sites in some of the cities to decide which one will be the first to move forward with a pilot system. The selected city will then develop more detailed plans for timelines, routes and planning, the release states.
It would be the first U.S. installation of Whoosh, the company states.
"We’re excited to be working with these five cities to bring advanced transportation to cities in North Texas,” Jeral Poskey, Swyft Cities CEO, said in a release. “Whoosh provides the ’perfect Uber’ – fast, on-demand, nonstop trips with a great view."
More and more major North Texas roads are expected to become more congested by 2045, according to the North Central Texas Council of Governments' Mobility 2045 Update.
“Dallas-Fort Worth is one of the fastest-growing regions in the country, adding more than 1 million residents every 7 years," Michael Morris, P.E., NCTCOG director of transportation, said. "We look forward to working with our public- and private-sector partners to advance the types of transportation solutions that will help us manage this growth and enhance quality of life."
The technology is a lower-cost, lower-emissions alternative to traditional transportation, the release states.