MAMMOTH LAKES, CA - APRIL 3: The gondola at Mammoth Mountain Ski Resort is viewed on April 3, 2023, in Mammoth Lakes, California. Three months of relentless atmospheric river-driven snowstorms has set a new record for California snowfall...703 inches at the Mammoth Mountain Lodge. (Photo by George Rose/Getty Images)
Irvine, California – What began as an ambitious vision for futuristic transit in Irvine’s Great Park has evolved into a costly and controversial project, drawing scrutiny over its development—and the substantial cost already incurred by taxpayers.
Unveiled last month with fanfare and promotional flair, the proposed gondola transit system promised to lift passengers above the 1,300-acre park, gliding over trails and attractions to connect key areas with minimal traffic disruption. Swyft Cities, the company behind the gondola concept, has offered the city up to $10 million in equipment and services during a one-year trial period in exchange for official designation as the Great Park’s public transit solution.
However, documents and contracts uncovered in recent weeks suggest the project had been quietly moving forward well before it was publicly introduced. Local government signed at least five contracts totaling around $700,000, with some of them dating back as far as December 2024—without complete board discussion or public review. The expenditures include feasibility studies, a ridership forecast, a model gondola pod, and a virtual reality experience used at a public event.
That public event, the annual State of the Great Park address, was held just two weeks after the gondola concept was first introduced at an April board meeting. Attendees encountered a full-sized gondola model, a VR ride simulation, and branding prominently featuring the city’s crest and Great Park’s signature orange. Many residents assumed the project had already been approved. In reality, it had not yet cleared key procedural steps, including presentations before the park’s finance and transportation commissions.
One city council member has expressed concern about the rapid progress of the project, questioning the appropriateness of spending public funds on promotional elements before formal discussions or decisions. According to Measure V, passed by Irvine voters in 2014, Great Park contracts and expenditures must first be recommended by the Great Park Board and approved by the City Council.
Among the most revealing documents is a December 2024 contract stating the city was already “actively planning a Whoosh system to enhance connectivity” in the park—a reference to the tech platform behind the gondolas. City staff say their early contracts were meant to assess viability. But their cumulative cost and the absence of public disclosure have triggered demands for greater transparency.
The Great Park Board is scheduled to meet Tuesday at 2 p.m., where staff will present how the gondola plan developed. With hundreds of thousands already spent and key questions unresolved, the future of Irvine’s aerial transit dream is now under sharper public scrutiny.
