The need for a mass public transit system in Austin has brought about a surprising proposal: gondolas. Frog Design came up with the idea as it is affordable, dodging much of the cost of buying land or laying tracks for a light rail, as well as offering a fantastic view for riders and alleviates pedestrians slowing traffic in busy zones to create a win-win for motorists and pedestrians alike.

There is always that moment, mid–traffic jam, when your eyes dart around in search of an escape route and land, longingly, on the sky. Urban air travel may sound like a utopian fantasy (and “skywalker” everyone’s favorite whining Jedi), but Frog Design‘s mass-transit proposal for Austin makes airborne gondolas look like the most obvious and economical solution we’ve never thought of. Conceived as an enclosed ski lift large enough for bikes, the “Wire,” as it’s known, would create shortcuts for pedestrians and cyclists by floating them above motorists.

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