Plans for an aerial gondola system at the Great Park have been delayed until at least 2036 after widespread public opposition, safety concerns, and funding issues halted the Swyft Cities proposal.
The Swyft Cities “Whoosh” system was initially painted as an innovative transit solution designed to move people above ground-level traffic. But after months of debate, city officials and residents have raised doubts about the technology’s cost, safety, and readiness.
Councilmember Kathleen Treseder, who has been a leading voice for sustainable and transparent transportation policy, and a social ecology professor at UC Irvine, said she supports the
goal of improving public transit but questions the projects’ viability.
“We’re all about encouraging green solutions and creativity,” said Dinorah Hernandez, Treseder’s executive assistant. “However, we believe using taxpayer dollars to fund a project that would essentially make Irvine a guinea pig is not responsible.”
The system, developed by startup Swyft Cities, has not yet been tested at full scale. Its only working model is a quarter-sized prototype in New Zealand, and the company has yet to receive
safety certification from California agencies such as the Public Utilities Commission and Orange County Fire Authority.
Transportation Commissioner Youssef Kaddeche said those facts alone should give the city pause and more time to reconsider the project.
“There’s a fear that the technology might fail,” Kaddeche said. “Because it’s proprietary, if the startup goes under, Irvine could be left with stranded infrastructure that no one else can maintain.” Kaddeche and other members of the public have also criticized the city’s contracting process.
According to internal documents cited by the Irvine Watchdog, city staff approved a $198,000 agreement with Swyft Cities, which is just below the $200,000 threshold that would have required full City Council approval.
“Though city policies and procedures were followed, note that the $198,000 amount is just shy of the $200,000 minimum threshold, which triggers City Council approval,” the Irvine Watchdog wrote.
At a Transportation Commission meeting earlier this year, public turnout was unusually high. Dozens of residents voiced their concerns about cost, safety, and transparency. Nicholas Chernyshoff, a University High School junior and intern for Councilmember Treseder, said the backlash was high.
“That was the meeting with the most public attendance I’ve ever seen,” Chernyshoff said. “Lots of people came to speak out against the project. It’s risky for Irvine to be the first city to try something unproven with taxpayer money.”
Residents also questioned Swyft Cities’ claims that the gondola could move more passengers per hour than a high-capacity bus corridor. Experts say the math doesn’t add up. Each pod can carry just five passengers at a time, far below the capacity of buses.
“Buses and light rail are proven, higher-capacity, and cost-effective solutions,” Kaddeche said.“They’re realistic and rooted in decades of success in other cities.”
Budget evaluations for the Great Park would mean no work on the gondola will resume until at least 2036. Hernandez said the delay gives Irvine a chance to rethink its approach to public mobility, and perhaps terminate the project altogether.
“We want innovation, but not at the cost of safety, transparency, or millions in taxpayer money,” Chernyshoff said.
For now, many in Irvine seem relieved that the project will be delayed, at least for the next decade, if not forever.
