Multiple Aerial Trams Proposed in Clearwater, Florida

The city of Clearwater added another aerial tram project to its list of planning proposals. It's the second aerial tram proposal to move forward in the city this year.

1 minute read

November 17, 2020, 7:00 AM PST

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Medellin

A tram system like the famous Metrocable system in Medellín could find a home in Clearwater, Florida. | Jess Kraft / Shutterstock

Clearwater, Florida is considering two separate aerial tram projects in the city, according to an article by Jason Plautz.

Earlier in November, "the Clearwater City Council gave its go-ahead for the Tampa Bay Area Regional Transit Authority (TBARTA) and metropolitan planning organization Forward Pinellas to study a gondola system in the city," according to Plautz.

The project, backed by St. Petersburg developer Darryl Leclair, "would use a two-mile cable car line to connect downtown Clearwater to the beach, with the potential to expand across the Tampa Bay region into cities including St. Petersburg," reports Plautz.

Add it to the list of proposed tram-to-Beach projects in the city, with the potential to expand throughout the city: In February, the Clearwater City Council approved a resolution that would explore an aerial tram proposed by BeachTran Cleawater LLC to move people to and from the beach in the city.

According to the more recent article, BeachTran Clearwater Founder Tom Nocera is selling the idea of aerial trams as the "most sanitary mode of public transit."

Plautz also notes that aerial tram projects are in consideration in multiple cities around the country, including Los Angeles, Pittsburgh, and Park City.

Thursday, November 12, 2020 in Smart Cities Dive

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Wastewater pouring out from a pipe.

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage

Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

April 13, 2025 - Inside Climate News

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Black and white photos of camp made up of small 'earthquake shacks' in Dolores Park in 1906 after the San Francisco earthquake.

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees

More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

April 15, 2025 - Charles F. Bloszies

Ken Jennings stands in front of Snohomish County Community Transit bus.

Ken Jennings Launches Transit Web Series

The Jeopardy champ wants you to ride public transit.

April 20 - Streetsblog USA

Close-up on BLM sign on Continental Divide Trail in Rawlins, Wyoming.

BLM To Rescind Public Lands Rule

The change will downgrade conservation, once again putting federal land at risk for mining and other extractive uses.

April 20 - Public Domain

Calvary Street bridge over freeway in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Indy Neighborhood Group Builds Temporary Multi-Use Path

Community members, aided in part by funding from the city, repurposed a vehicle lane to create a protected bike and pedestrian path for the summer season.

April 20 - Smart Cities Dive