Anaheim is reportedly the latest city to kick the tires on a proposed aerial gondola system.

Anaheim Investigator, citing internal e-mails, contracts, and presentations, reports that Anaheim city officials are working with startup Swyft Cities on a proposed $125-million project which calls for linking the Disneyland resort with destinations in the Platinum Triangle such as the Honda Center, Angel Stadium, the Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center (ARTIC), and the OC Vibe development.

Conceptual rendering of a gondola stationWhoosh Hold LP

According to the Anaheim Investigator, no route has been decided upon at this point in time. However, an east-west alignment on Katella Avenue - with stops at the Honda Center, ARTIC, Angel Stadium, the Platinum Triangle, Garden Walk, Disneyland, and the Anaheim Convention Center, has attracted interest. This 3.8-mile route would also leave space for up to two future stations, with a maintenance facility to be located within the OC Vibe property. Plans call for a five-minute end-to-end trip.

Gondolas are shown suspended above Katella Avenue by tower structures, potentially designed to resemble the Angels' "Big A" logo. However, construction of these support structures would require the removal of potentially hundreds of trees currently planted within the street median.

Conceptual rendering of a gondola cabin interiorWhoosh Hold LP

The current estimated cost of $125.7 million, or $33 million per mile, is triple the cost initially presented to City officials in December 2024. The Investigator reports that no funding source has been identified from the project, though its proponents have suggested a public-private partnership, grants, and State money could cover the cost. Project backers have indicated support from the developers of the $4-billion OC Vibe development, with plans for a proposed maintenance and storage facility even displaying the project's logo.

City officials in Irvine are also working with Swyft Cities on a separate gondola system as a transportation office within the 1,300-acre Great Park. And roughly 30 miles northwest in Downtown Los Angeles, former Dodgers owner Frank McCourt has proposed a controversial $500-million gondola system which would connect the Dodger Stadium parking lots with Union Station.

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