Taking flight From the cover
The big picture
Proposed Sugar Land transportation projects
• Timeline: Ready for construction by late 2026 • Cost: $3.82 million • Funding source: H-GAC grant 3 Microtransit The Uber-like service provides $2 rides across a 24-square-mile service area. • Status: Year one of pilot program underway • Timeline: Launched in March • Cost: $5.08M for three years • Funding source: H-GAC grant and 2023 Fort Bend County mobility bond 4 Sugar Land Trail Phase 1 The trail will connect Imperial Park to Smart Financial Centre. • Status: Design complete • Timeline: One year for construction • Cost: $9.09 million • Funding source: H-GAC grant 5 Sugar Land Trail Phase 2 The trail will run along Lexington Boulevard between Smart Financial Centre and Austin Parkway. • Status: Design bidding underway • Timeline: Up to two years for design and construction • Cost: $6.45 million • Funding source: H-GAC grant 6 Wisk Aero air taxi service Autonomous helicopters connecting Greater Houston • Status: Vertiport study underway • Timeline: Completion by 2030 (Phase 1) • Cost: $6.3 million for Phase 1 • Funding source: Exploring funding, no tax dollars Service area
GANNOWAY LAKE
At the core of this alternative transportation transformation is Sugar Land’s first-ever Mobility Master Plan, adopted in 2023. More than a visionary document, the plan builds upon and consolidates previous initiatives—such as the Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan and the Thoroughfare Master Plan—while emphasizing safety, sustainability and accessibility, Beaman said. While regional municipal planners said they plan to implement a light rail and county governments provide intraregional bus transportation, Sugar Land officials said they’re looking for innovative models with the availability of grants that could help subsidize them. In addition to the autonomous flights, city officials are seeking a Houston-Galveston Area Council grant for a proposed autonomous elevated cable and rail system, known as an “aerial gondola,” as a cheaper alternative to light rails, which require land acquisition. Additionally, the city launched its pilot Sugar Land On-Demand microtransit system in May, Beaman said. The service area was upgraded in June to cover 24 square miles across the city. City officials are also working on three trail projects that cross both Hwy. 6 and Hwy. 59, addressing two of the biggest physical barriers for nonmotorized travel. H-GAC Chief Transportation Officer Ron Papsdorf said this trend mirrors what’s happening across the broader region and may shape local transportation policies going forward.
59
6
2
BURNEY RD.
3
99 TOLL
LEXINGTON BLVD.
UNIVERSITY BLVD.
4
BRAZOS RIVER
5
6
AUSTIN PKWY.
1
N
Elevated Cable & Rail System Autonomous, gondola-like elevated cable system • Status: Awaiting grant decision expected in October • Timeline: Begin design as soon as funding is secured • Cost: $12 million • Funding source: Seeking alternative federal grants 1 Brazos River multimodal bridge A 10-foot-wide suspension bridge • Status: Awaiting grant decision • Timeline: Two years after grant is awarded • Cost: $12.5 million • Funding source: TxDOT, potential 2026 Fort Bend County mobility bond 2 Gannoway Lake Trails The trail will connect Cullinan Park to Gannoway Lake. • Status: Design is 30% complete
SOURCE: CITY OF SUGAR LAND/COMMUNITY IMPACT
Why it matters
Sugar Land’s average volume of traffic per day, August 2024-August 2025
ensure mobility for residents who don’t drive—a group that comprises roughly 30% of the U.S. adult population, Beaman said. Census data from the 2023 American Com- munity Survey 1-year study showed that 13% of Fort Bend County residents were 65 or older, compared to the national average of 10.2%. These populations can experience age-related medical conditions or injuries that could impact driving skills, per the National Institute of Health. “Thinking of the needs of our older adult population and folks that might not be able to drive themselves anymore and how we account for that and provide a system that is available for everyone is one of those considerations that we take into account when we’re making decisions about setting priorities,” Papsdorf said.
The alternative transportation systems aim to alleviate traffic congestion, a major concern for 25% of Fort Bend County residents, according to a 2025 Houston Area Survey Report by the Kinder Institute. Beaman said the problem is only grow- ing, citing H-GAC’s 2050 Regional Transportation Plan, which states traffic in the region is expected to increase by 50% by 2050. Per city data, the top congested intersections include Hwy. 59 and Hwy. 6, which experiences the most traffic in north and southbound directions. “If everybody’s using the same road at the same time to get to the same place, you’re going to have traffic,” Beaman said. “Widening roads doesn’t help. … The only thing that helps is to provide options—like public transit, like multimodal infrastructure—so people can bike and walk.” Additionally, the proposed systems aim to
East and westbound North and southbound
Hwy. 59 and Hwy. 6 50.1K
63.5K
Hwy. 6 and Brooks Street
13.2K
65.1K
Hwy. 6 and Dulles Avenue 22.3K
54.4K
Hwy. 6. and Town Center
66.4K
9.8K
Hwy. 59 and Hwy. 99 E 53.4K
21.9K
Hwy. 6 and Lexington Boulevard 13K 59.6K Hwy. 90 and Dairy Ashford Road 53.7K 16.6K
18
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