Water Damage Restoration in Sugar Land, TX

There once was a sugar plantation where cane fields stretched as far as the eye could see, and enslaved people—primarily African Americans—toiled away in the heat. In time, the plantation grew into a factory called Imperial Sugar, which grew into a city that was aptly named Sugar Land. Over the next few decades, Sugar Land grew beyond recognition. Master-planned neighborhoods sprouted, and as cars became popular in the 1970s, highways expanded to connect these neighborhoods—and also splinter them. In 1970, just over 3,000 people called Sugar Land home. In 2020, that number had skyrocketed to 110,000.

Sugar Land is located just southwest of Houston; today, it is the sixth-fastest growing city in the U.S., and it is running out of space. With only 4% of land left to build on, the city is looking for innovative transportation solutions—and looking up for answers.

Over the past year, Sugar Land has set in motion three big initiatives—one of them is a community microtransit service, the other two involve aerial solutions. Earlier this year, the city partnered with Wisk Aero, a company that has spent the past 14 years developing electric, self-flying taxis, also known as vertical take-off and landing (VTOL).

The pilot would allow residents to hop on an air taxi (from, say, downtown Sugar Land) and fly to a designated vertiport in a fraction of the time it would take them to drive. Mitchell Davies, deputy director of aviation at the Sugar Land Regional Airport, says the airport has identified potential locations for a so-called Vertiport and is working closely with Wisk Aero and the Federal Aviation Administration to conduct an airspace study. The Vertiport should become operational “by the end of the decade or sooner,” he says.

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More recently, the city announced that it is studying the possibility of bringing an “autonomous elevated cable and rail mobility system” that would glide above its streets. The system, which is operated by a provider of urban mobility systems called Swyft Cities, can best be described as an on-demand gondola—a bit like Uber, except instead of a car, it’s a cabin that slides by to pick you up and drop you off at your desired location, with no stops in between. An engineering schematic study is currently underway to examine the potential for the gondola system, including potential locations. It is expected to be completed later this year.

When highways won’t do

The story of Sugar Land is the story of so many American cities, particularly in regions where the car is still king. Melanie Beaman, transportation and mobility manager at the City of Sugar Land, says that traffic in the region is expected to increase by 40-60% by 2045, and if the I-10 debacle in Houston is any indication, building more lanes won’t free up more space, it will simply attract more cars. “You’ll end up erasing the city with this big, huge mega-freeway,” she says.

To come up with solutions, the city conducted a yearslong study that culminated in a 163-page Mobility Master Plan. After interviewing close to 2,000 residents, they outlined plans to develop a safe streets program, to allocate more room for people to walk and bike, as well accommodate those who use wheelchairs and strollers. They also laid out their goal to position Sugar Land as an innovative mobility leader. “City leadership has told us to be bold in what we do with transportation,” says Beaman. “We’re told to be trailblazers and not be afraid to take risks.”

Sugar Land could be the first American city to implement a Swyft Cities’ Whoosh cabin (though Swyft Cities is also eyeing the Dallas-Fort Worth area and the five cities of Dallas, Plano, Arlington, Frisco, and DeSoto as potential sites).

There are many reasons why they would rather take risks than play it safe. For one thing, funding is hard to come by, and public-private partnerships can bring about much-needed cash. The Federal Transit Administration also offers grants for innovative and green transportation through their “Enhancing Mobility Innovation” program. The Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality program provides grants and loans to state and local governments wanting to reduce air pollution and congestion.

But there’s something else: The standard solutions no longer work. Brendon Wheeler, who is senior transportation planner at a regional planning organization called NCTCOG, says that Dallas-Fort Worth is “so spread out” that there are no geographical constraints to stop the growth. “Traditional transit simply cannot beat or match automobile travel times around the region.”

Are the skies the answer?

Swyft Cities was born out of a desire to unify some of Google’s campuses in Silicon Valley with nearby neighborhoods and transit options, but the plan fell through during the pandemic. In 2019, the team spun off into a company, and partnered with a New Zealand-based engineering firm called Whoosh.

Since 2019, the companies have built two prototypes—one in a Google warehouse in Silicon Valley, the other in New Zealand. Whoosh will also soon start building a full-scale network with fully enclosed cabins that can accommodate five passengers in Queenstown, New Zealand.

Unlike a traditional ski lift or gondola system, which uses a continuously moving cable to propel cabins between two stations, a Whoosh cabin uses an electric motor to propel itself along a stationary network of cables and rails. The team says that a Whoosh cabin consumes less than half the energy of an electric vehicle, and less than quarter of a bus, largely because of its small, electric motors and low friction on cables.

The five-seat cabin that would appear in Sugar Land can move at a speed of up to 30 mph, which is faster than buses, cars, and even light rail, though it’s worth noting that Swyft Cities isn’t looking to replace light rail. “Being that last-mile distributor between bus and rail, that’s where we fit in the set of transportation choices that are out there,” says Jeral Poskey, CEO of Swyft Cities.

There are many contenders for where the first gondola system might go in Sugar Land. The city is crisscrossed by two high-speed freeways that are seen as major barriers to anyone walking or bike. “You could build a pedestrian bridge, but it takes up a lot of room, which we don’t have,” says Beaman. Other contenders include the Sugar Land Town Square or the Smart Financial Centre, which often runs big events, as well as the ever-growing University of Houston campus in Sugar Land, which recently acquired a new, 75,000-square-foot building.

Residents are yet to decide where they would most like a Whoosh cabin—or if they want one at all—but for Beaman, one of the biggest benefits is just how flexible the system is. “If a grocery store wants a stop, they can help pay for that stop, but once we get the basic system down, then people can branch off, and we can add stops,” she says. “It’s limitless.”

Whether or not Swyft Cities will fix Sugar Land’s transportation woes remains to be seen, but the city is hopeful that solutions like self-flying taxis and Uber-style gondolas can convince people to leave their cars in the driveway and get to their destination in a more efficient, sustainable way. “The whole reason why you get traffic is everyone is using the same mode [of transportation] at same time, in the same space,” she says. “If you can move just a small percentage of people to other modes, it frees up the traffic flow.”

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SUGAR LAND, Texas (KTRK) -- The City of Sugar Land made a post, and it was not an April Fool's joke as the city toyed with the idea of alleviating traffic by putting people in the air.

Instead of a car, a gondola could soon be the new way to get around Sugar Land. "Oh my God, is Sugar Land really getting this? That would be so crazy to see that coming into the city," Sugar Land visitor Stephan Perez said.

As of now, it is only an idea. The city is exploring the possibility of bringing the suspended system. There would be no drivers; only passengers would be transported in the air.

RELATED: Houston area's pilotless air taxis set to take off sooner than you think"It's okay," Grace Okeneu said. "We don't mind. People go to the moon and come down."

So far, the city has used state and federal dollars to study the idea. "We've got all of the necessary right-of-way," Sugar Land spokesperson Doug Adolph explained. "The infrastructure for the Whoosh system. The cars require a very small footprint."

The aerial transportation could bring riders to several locations including the town square, Smart Financial Center and Constellation Field.

"The next step would be to conduct engineering studies," Adolph said. "We would hope those would be done by the end of the year. We're still looking at years down the road for implementation."

City officials said they don't want to use city tax dollars to build the system. Instead, they're looking at private money, state funds, and federal funds.

RELATED: Flying air taxis move closer to US takeoff with issuing of FAA rule

Before any decision is made, they plan to get neighbors' input. "We want to hear the good and the bad," Adolph explained. "We want to hear all different perspectives so that we can make sure that anything we implement addresses the needs of our residents and meets their expectations."

"I probably wouldn't get on it though," Perez said. "You never know, but the more it becomes common, I might get on it."

Don't expect it so soon, as the new transportation idea could be a few years away.

For updates on this story, follow Nick Natario on Facebook, X and Instagram.

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Bullet trains speeding between metropolises and self-driving cars delivering people to the airport may be slated for the future in Texas, but what about the futuristic vehicle in the sky? One city near Houston is hoping to be among the first locations to adopt this burgeoning technology.

The city of Sugar Land announced earlier this month that it had entered into an agreement with Swyft Cities to study the possibility of "bringing an autonomous elevated cable and rail mobility system" to its skies.

"We couldn’t be more excited to partner on a project that’s unlike anything else in the nation," said Sugar Land City Manager Michael W. Goodrum in the announcement. "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."

A post from Sugar Land's official account on X noted that the aerial vehicles could stop at locations such as Sugar Land Town Square and Smart Financial Centre.

Look up there! It's a bird????, it's a plane✈️.. Wait, it's a gondola? Sugar Land takes innovation to a new level by studying ways to implement a quick and convenient transportation system. Skip traffic by floating over cars to arrive at destinations such as Sugar Land Town Square,…

— City of Sugar Land (@SugarLandtxgov) October 23, 2024

Swyft Cities was formed by former Google employees who sought to commercialize a technology developed by Holmes Solutions called Whoosh. The Whoosh system, according to Swyft Cities, "creates personalized, point-to-point transportation for passengers or goods traveling in smart electric vehicles on a light and flexible elevated cable and rail network." The vehicles, which would be on demand and nonstop, can change elevation or even turn to change their route by navigating an elevated guideway.

This isn't the first time that Swift Cities has shown interest in Texas. In March 2023, Swyft Cities began to engage the Regional Transportation Council for North Texas, seeking to identify locations that may be a good fit for the Whoosh system. In June, Arlington, Dallas, DeSoto, Frisco and Plano were named as potential partners. A Whoosh pilot project is now underway in Queenstown, New Zealand.

In Sugar Land, the city and Swyft Cities will conduct a study to determine the potential for introducing Whoosh. According to the city, the study will investigate potential routes and station locations, and it will hope to identify "public-private partnerships to minimize financial burdens and risk for the city."

"We're excited to partner with the city of Sugar Land to bring a new level of fast, convenient mobility to help support the fast-growing region," said Swyft Cities CEO Jeral Poskey in the announcement. "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."

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Oct 26, 2024

Weekend Editor

Timothy Malcolm is the Weekend Editor at Chron, where he writes and edits stories from across a broad spectrum, including breaking Houston and Texas news, food, travel, culture, transportation, energy, sports and features. His 20-year writing career includes a stint at Houstonia as dining editor and food critic, overseeing digital development for GateHouse Media newsrooms, launching magazines in the Hudson Valley of New York and serving as grantwriter for nationwide food-and-beverage nonprofit Southern Smoke Foundation. Timothy is also an accomplished travel author with two books published by Hachette Book Group—Baseball Road Trips and Drive & Hike Appalachian Trail. He is happy to talk baseball, early 1980s R&B and pro wrestling when he’s not cooking for his wife and daughters.

"Whoosh is a really innovative transportation system that uses small electric vehicles to quickly move people around town,” spokesperson Doug Adolph explained.

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SUGAR LAND, Texas — The City of Sugar Land is on the move and thinking outside the box when it comes to public transportation needs.

They're hoping to become the first city in the U.S. to build an autonomous elevated cable and rail system.

"This really checks all the boxes for us, it is bold, innovative, trailblazing, and we couldn't be more excited,” City of Sugar Land spokesperson Doug Adolph told us. "We're partnering with a company called Swyft Cities to explore the possibility of implementing a Whoosh system."

What's a Whoosh system?

"Whoosh is a really innovative transportation system that uses small electric vehicles to quickly move people around town,” Adolph explained.

The small electric vehicles resemble gondolas, but we're told they're way more advanced, using autonomous technology to move along a network of elevated fixed cables and rail, allowing for quick trips that are environmentally sustainable.

"It's definitely feasible. We've got the right of way and the infrastructure needed typically creates a very small footprint,” Adolph said.

They’re hoping it’s the solution for the city’s continued growth.

"We've been told for years that mobility is among the top priorities of our citizens,” Adolph said.

An engineering study is now underway.

These futuristic cable cars would likely start at Sugar Land Town Square, Smart Financial Centre and Constellation Park.

"For years we've been studying ways to connect destination centers in our city, not only to meet the mobility needs of our residents but to grow tourism,” said Adolph.

Something Inka Mathew a local shop owner hopes will happen.

"I'm all for it, I think it would make traffic around here much better, and from people traveling from Houston to Sugar Land we'll get more visitors, and it looks like a fun trip to ride that!”

To pay for it the city plans to partner with the private sector and pursue state and federal funding to avoid using tax dollars.

According to the city, the project is still in the early stages. They expect to have the results of the study later this year.

Trader Joe’s, the popular grocery chain and one of the most requested businesses in Houston’s booming suburbs, is opening in Sugar Land on Oct. 24.

Anticipation has been building since the spring when the company confirmed it would come to Houston’s southwest suburb and replace a shuttered Sprouts Farmers Market, 13550 University Blvd., at the University Commons Shopping Center.

When Trader Joe’s opens in Sugar Land on Thursday, this will be its sixth Houston-area store joining 20 others around Texas. It will also be the chain’s 565th store in America, a spokesperson for the company confirmed.

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While the retailer is notoriously tight lipped about its success and expansion plans, fans of the store are familiar with its cheerful employees wearing Hawaiian shirts pointing them to popular items ranging from Two-Buck Chuck (bottles of wine which go for $2-$4, depending on the location) to a slew of Trader Joe’s-branded snacks ranging from pumpkin ginger scones to kimbap, a Korean tofu and vegetable rice roll wrapped in seaweed. The company’s line of canvas mini tote bags became a fashion statement and went viral on TikTok this year, too.

The new 10,000-square-foot store will open at 7:55 a.m. on Thursday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony before doors open to the public. Daily hours of operations are 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.

Trader Joe’s hired 60 employees, a mix of new hires and some staffers transferred from other shops, for the Sugar Land store, according to a press release.

The newest location will participate in the company’s Neighborhood Shares program, where all products that aren’t sold but are fit to consume will be donated to a variety of non-profit and community organizations.

MORE FROM BAO ONG: Chicago cult-favorite Portillo’s announces Oct. 22 opening date for first Houston-area restaurant

On social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram, Sugar Land residents have been closely following the opening.

Any posts with updates about the first day of business generates comments from surrounding suburban residents saying they wanted a local Trader Joe’s.

A similar level of anticipation built up when the first Houston-area Trader Joe’s opened in 2012 taking over the old Alabama Theatre near the Montrose area. The Woodlands and Katy welcomed Trader Joe's in 2012 and 2015, respectively.

Oct 22, 2024

Restaurant Columnist

Bao Ong is a restaurant columnist for the Houston Chronicle. He can be reached at bao@houstonchronicle.com

He previously worked on staff at Eater New York, Bon Appétit and Time Out New York. In addition to Bao's background in journalism, he also graduated from the French Culinary Institute. He moved to Houston in summer 2022 and in his first year, he won the top award in the Comment and Criticism category awarded by the Texas Managing Editors organization. Follow where he's eating and drinking on Instagram: @baohaus