SCJ was hired by TBARTA and a group of subconsultants to study aerial gondolas in St. Petersburg and Clearwater, Florida. SCJ led the study, which developed routes in each city, conducted an alternatives analysis for both project areas, and recommended gondola alignments for advancement. Ultimately, the Clearwater project advanced to a technical and financial validation phase.
The Clearwater gondola project envisions an aerial gondola traveling between Downtown Clearwater, the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, and Clearwater Beach. The tricable or 3S gondola technology is proposed for the 2-mile-long system. The study resulted in a technically feasible and financially viable project. Further, through a social media questionnaire, the public came out in favor of the project, with 73% of the over 8,300 respondents stating that they would likely use an aerial gondola if implemented.