(NewsNation) — It’s not science fiction: Flying cars could be coming to Los Angeles by 2028. Mayor Eric Garcetti has launched a nonprofit to develop air taxis in an effort to reduce daily commute times.
Known as the Urban Air Mobility Partnership, the organization will work with Archer, Hyundai and other design teams to set the standard in city regulations around future airspace.
The group of heavily funded tech companies has already begun testing on dronelike electric planes, which would target commuters tormented by bumper-to-bumper traffic. According to their projections, the popular commuter route from Santa Monica to downtown LA would take just nine minutes by air taxi.
Other cities around the country have also shown interest in flying taxis, with the goal of collapsing travel times to a matter of minutes. Dallas, Texas has been exploring the possibility of a skyport in an effort to convince companies such as Uber to invest and utilize air travel.
Critics have expressed concern for the communities existing under these air paths, however, the fear being that air taxis could further divide underserved communities already separated by land-based freeways. For their part, the Los Angeles department of transportation has already begun to discuss potential regulations the taxis could face, focusing on noise levels, impact on overall quality of life and safety for passengers and citizens below flight paths.