Glydways, a California-based autonomous transit company, is proposing an elevated network of self-driving vehicles to connect downtown West Palm Beach to President Donald J. Trump International Airport. The company will present the proposal to Palm Beach County commissioners Tuesday for initial consideration. Supporters said the system could dramatically improve mobility by connecting the airport to the convention center, nearby Brightline and Tri-Rail stations.
Small autonomous electric vehicles carrying four to six passengers would travel along a dedicated elevated guideway built above existing roads. The system would bypass traffic congestion entirely, potentially cutting the trip between downtown and the airport to less than 10 minutes. Glydways estimates travel times of seven minutes or less between the convention center and airport and roughly one to two minutes between Tri-Rail and the convention center. Senior Vice President Brian Gettinger said the system would cost a small fraction of a traditional light rail system, which has previously carried estimates of $400 million to $500 million per mile in South Florida. Funding could potentially come from Palm Beach County, the City of West Palm Beach, the Florida Department of Transportation, federal transit grants and public-private partnerships. Tuesday's County Commission meeting is expected to determine whether the county should formally evaluate the proposal.