ALBANY, N.Y. — Instead of fighting traffic or waiting for a taxi, rail travelers arriving at New York's capital may one day soar across the Hudson River in glassy pods suspended from cables, AP reports.

Cable-propelled urban gondolas are similar to those used for decades to transport skiers up mountains. While there are only a couple used for public commuter transit in the U.S. — Portland, Oregon's Aerial Tram and New York City's Roosevelt Island Tramway — the technology is quickly gaining traction in European countries such as Italy, Germany, Portugal, and France.

The plan for Albany is just one of several aerial cable projects being pitched in cities from Austin, Texas, to Washington, D.C., to solve public transportation problems by going above the existing maze of congested highways, bridges, and rails. For the full story, click here.