San José City Council unanimously approves next phase of San José Airport Connector project

San José Connection Partners, a consortium including Plenary Americas, Webcor/Obayashi, HNTB, and Glydways has announced that the San José City Council voted unanimously to move the Diridon–Airport Connector into Phase 2a of project development. The decision marks a significant step toward achieving the City’s sustainable mobility goals, reflecting strong civic alignment around a forward-looking, zero-emission solution that will connect Diridon Station—the region’s major transportation hub—with San José Mineta International Airport (SJC).

This approval follows the successful completion of the City’s Feasibility Validation Report (FVR), which affirmed the technical viability, environmental promise, and scalable commercial structure of Glydways’ innovative system. While certain financial elements will continue to be evaluated in the next phase, the report concluded that the proposed transit solution is well-positioned to meet passenger needs and support the City’s future transportation network.

“As Diridon Station welcomes BART, and High Speed Rail, and airport traffic increases, there will be a need for a route to the airport separated from our roadways,” said David Cohen, San Jose City Councilmember and Chair of the Transportation & Environment Committee. “It is important to keep moving forward with the study to understand the potential for this exciting new technology as a piece of our future transit system. Prioritizing equity and accessibility in this process will help ensure that all residents, regardless of income or ability, can benefit from a fast, reliable, and inclusive transportation network. It’s important that we don’t delay further study of potential transit options.”

“As one of North America’s most experienced infrastructure developers, we see the project’s strong fundamentals and transformative potential. This decision by the City of San Jose is an important next step in reimagining how critical transportation projects can be delivered,” said Dale Bonner, Executive Chairman of Plenary Americas and former California Secretary of Business, Transportation and Housing.

“This is a pivotal moment for San José,” said Gokul Hemmady, CEO of Glydways. “We’re grateful to Mayor Matt Mahan and the City Council for their unanimous support and clear vision. Their leadership reflects a commitment to delivering next-generation transit for this community, and we’re proud to be part of that effort. Thanks to the strong foundation laid in Phase 1, we move forward with confidence to build a cleaner, faster, and more inclusive way to move throughout the region.” 

The San Jose Airport Connector is designed to deliver an on-demand, point-to-point transit system using autonomous, fully electric Glydcars operating on dedicated guideways. The system can move thousands of passengers per hour, per direction, offering 24/7 service with zero emissions. Stations will be ADA-compliant and integrate seamlessly with existing multimodal transit hubs.

At the start of Phase 2, the project team—including Plenary Americas (lead developer and equity provider), Glydways (technology provider), Webcor/Obayashi (design-build contractor), and HNTB (lead designer)—will initiate detailed ridership and revenue analysis, refine alignment plans in collaboration with the community, and develop a comprehensive funding strategy.

Construction is expected to begin following future City Council approvals including environmental clearance and a design-build-finance-operate-maintain (DBFOM) agreement, with service projected to align with San José’s long-term mobility and climate goals.

CONTACT
Colin Heyne, Public Information Manager, Department of Transportation
408-858-5963 | colin.heyne@sanjoseca.gov

Keonnis Taylor, Public Information Manager, San José Mineta International Airport
408-392-1199 | sjcmedia@sjc.org