The autonomous transit system of glydways rhymes urban movement, offering quickly, without blockages, … [+]
Cities around the world struggle with increasing blockages, emissions and tense public transit systems. Glydways has appeared with an ambitious vision: to redefine urban mobility with an automated revolutionary transit network (ATN). Unlike traditional public transit solutions, Glydways access integrates demand experience, private travel experiences with the efficiency and degree of mass transit-all within a small trace.
Supported by Suzuki Motor Corporation, Sam Altman (Apollo), Bill Gates (Gates Fontier Fund) and Vinod Khosla (Khosla Ventures), Glydway the future of transport. But beyond technology, Glydways is also challenging the economy and transit access, aiming to build a scaled model that operates without heavy subsidies – something almost unheard of in the public transit sector.
I have recently spoken to Gokul Hemmady, CEO of Glydways, and Mark Seger, founder and leading strategy official in Glydways, for mass transit challenges and how they propose to treat them.
A system built for access and efficiency
The idea of the company was born of a simple but deep observation: mobility is directly related to the possibility. “Through access to mobility, you have access to employment, education, health care, trade – everything that makes modern life possible,” Seeger explained. “But as urban blockages worsen, the radius of people’s opportunities decreases because they just can’t get to where they have to go effectively.”
According to Seger, only 201 cities around the world even have mass transit, and most of them have only a few train lines. This leaves thousands of cities in what he calls a “absolute nightmare of the blocking”, limiting economic potential and social mobility. Glydways solution is a fully automated, responsible network of demand that moves people to small autonomous electric vehicles along dedicated roads-avoiding blockages. The system is created to operate 24/7, provide direct trips without stops and integrate smoothly with existing infrastructure.
But Seger was quick to emphasize that glydways is not just a new vehicle – it’s a system. “Tesla, Waymo, Uber – everyone is focused on the car,” he said. “We have a broader approach. Our system includes vehicle, infrastructure and software that orchestrate everything. This is what enables us to move 10,000 people per hour to a bicycle-equivalent size space with the capacity of a five-lane highway. “
Overcoming infrastructure challenges and global adoption
One of the biggest challenges in starting an innovative transit solution is to provide infrastructure investments – especially in the US, where funds for new transport models are extremely difficult to obtain. However, Glydways’s business model aims to break the mold.
“Our first projects will be without operational subsidies-something that has never happened in transit,” CEO Gokul Hemmady said. “We are proving that these systems can generate income while still loading tariffs comparable to public transit.”
Hemmady also emphasized that Glydways has already seen success in contracting contracts. “We have won four of the four RFPs [Requests for Proposals]three of which have been transformed into contracts. We are in 109 active conversations globally, and cities are seeing the value proposal: lower cost, faster implementation and significant decrease in environmental impact. “
SH.BA remains a major market, with the onset of the Glydways’s first trading system in Atlanta in 2026, followed by a project in San Jose. But internationally, the company sees even greater potential. “If we are talking about 55 million annual scams in a single Indian city, it changes the game,” hemmady noted. “In places like Manila, Mumbai and Singapor, glydways fits perfectly because the space is in a premium, and traditional transit solutions are not possible.”
Seger echoed this feeling, emphasizing the Philippines as a main example. “Manila has 41 million people caught in a smaller space than the New York City. They can’t do anything. They have to renew, and that’s why we’re seeing such a strong demand internationally.”
The role of Suzuki and strategic partnerships
One of the most important supporters of Glydways is Suzuki Motor Corporation, a partnership that Seger described as a natural fit. “The philosophy of Suzuki’s corporations is ‘Sho-Scho-Kan-Bi’-Smaller, less, easier, shorter. This is exactly what is about glydways,” he said. “They saw our vision and immediately realized that this is the future of urban mobility.”
Suzuki will be the main manufacturer of Glydways vehicles, using his deep experience in compact, efficient transport solution. Meanwhile, ACS – an infrastructure company of $ 40 billion in Spain -based – has partned with glydways to handle construction, operations and maintenance, ensuring that the system can be set on the scale.
Hemmady emphasized the broader implications of suzuki’s involvement. “This is not just about building vehicles – it is about rethinking the entire business model. Suzuki has publicly stated that they want to remove cars from the road. How many car companies say that?”
A new development center and the way forward
To support its rapid expansion, Glydways has announced a 14 -hectare development and demonstration structure in Richmond, California. This facility will serve as a testing ground for system refining and preparation for future trading placements.
“The first time we moved people to our old object, we brought true travelers – people in wheelchairs, those who are hard to hear and those who rely on public transit every day,” Seeger recalled. “Seeing their reaction, realizing that this could be their daily journey-it was a mind.”
The new Richmond building represents a step forward in the system’s sustainability exam and demonstrating its escalation in cities around the world.
Reimagation of public transit for the 21st century
While the challenges of implementing a new transit model remain steep, Glydways’s vision is attracting serious attention. With an escalating, cost -effective and environmentally friendly approach, the company represents a compelling alternative to the traditional mass transit.
For cities facing blockage and transit inefficiency, Glydways offers an intriguing question: What if public transit did not have to wait to wait, stop or share space with foreigners? What if it worked as a greeting of the travel, but with a part of cost and environmental impact?
With its first commercial system in 2026 and increased international demand, Glydways is on the verge of returning its ambitious concept into reality. Whether it can reshape the future of urban mobility remains to be seen, but for now, it stands as one of the most convincing transit experiments in the last memory.