COMMA RUTNITY
BEACHTRAN
CLEARWATER
Solving the Traffic Problem
By Aaron R. Fodiman
This space age concept uses four-passenger, driverless sky taxis such as this to help cure
current traffic problems in Clearwater.
Businessman Tom Nocera formed BeachTran Clearwater in 2016 in the hope
of implementing a 21st century elevated transit system within and around
the city of Clearwater. He would like to eventually expand the system into a
regional network, using this new mode of autonomous, elevated, point-topoint,
on demand transit called Aerial Personal Rapid Transit.
Nocera intends for the lightweight aerodynamic vehicles to quietly glide 15 to
20 feet above ground at highway speeds using a passive solar powered MagLev
guideway network that uses electromagnetic motors. The system is being designed
and developed by skyTran Inc. in California, which has Israel Aerospace Industries
as a system development partner.
124 TAMPA BAY MAGAZINE | JULY/AUGUST 2020
RENDERING: BEARDY PRODUCTIONS, LLC