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May 03, 2018
Infrastructure, Thoughts

Has Urban Gondola Technology Finally Gone Mainstream?

By and large for the past quarter century, urban gondolas have been considered a fringe transport technology in the minds of many North American transit professionals. Over this past decade however, attitudes over its application in the urban environment have shifted dramatically and it seems that the tides are finally turning. Last week for instance, the...

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Apr 06, 2018
Design Considerations, Engineering, Infrastructure, Innovations, Installations, Staubern Ropeway

Green Gondolas: Energy Neutral, Solar Powered Aerial Ropeway

As gondolas experience tremendous growth in the urban and recreational transport market, many decision-makers are now beginning to realize that ropeways are amongst the world’s most sustainable forms of transport. For instance, not only are gondolas able to create direct environmental benefits by producing less carbon emissions per passenger kilometre than trams and buses (under...

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Feb 03, 2018
Infrastructure, Installations, Research Issues, Trieste–Opicina tramway

Hybrid Transport — Trieste Opicina Tramway Funicular

Before the widespread adoption of automobiles, cities around the world had little choice but to develop creative ways to move people around. Near the turn of the twentieth century, when urban areas began to industrialize and innovations flourished, streetcar systems began to grow and expand. However, one of the main challenges faced by rail vehicles...

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Dec 27, 2017
Education, Infrastructure, Research & Development

5 Top Urban Gondola (and Ropeway Related) Stories in 2017

The last 12 months has been an another eventful year for urban gondola systems and ropeway technology in general. La Paz’s continued expansion of its massive gondola network combined with a flurry of proposals worldwide has made 2017 another incredible year. In this post, we take a moment to review some of the biggest events...

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Dec 12, 2017
Design Considerations, Dresden Suspended Railway, Infrastructure

Is the Dresden Suspended Railway the World’s Most Fascinating (or Unusual) Cable Car System? 

  At the expense of sounding overly dramatic, the Dresden Suspended Railway may very well be the world’s most fascinating or perhaps unusual urban transport line. Built in 1901 on the slopes of the River Elbe, the 273m long system takes 4.5 minutes to climb 84m from the lower district of Loschwitz to the top...

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Feb 11, 2017
Case Studies, Georgia, Infrastructure, Installations

Tbilisi / Georgian Ropeways, Part 1.1

Update February 10, 2017: As we’ve alluded to in our original post, filtering and interpreting Soviet-era information with a high degree of precision is proving to be a little more challenging than we first expected.  To compound these difficulties, we’ve learned this week that much of the history for Georgian/Tbilisi ropeways may have been lost forever. During the tumultuous...

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Feb 03, 2017
Case Studies, Georgia, Infrastructure, Installations

Tbilisi / Georgian Ropeways, Part 1

In the 8 years in which the Gondola Project has been online, our team has been on a journey to uncover the secrets of the urban gondola world and to share that knowledge with our readers. Most recently, a fellow researcher has helped our team learn more about the fascinating passenger cable lifts in Georgia (the country, not...

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Apr 01, 2016
3S, Infrastructure, Innovations, Technologies, Thoughts

The Irony of Cable Car Pranks on April Fools

For those who haven’t noticed yet, it’s April Fools today. Of course, this means that a few media outlets have gone to great lengths to have a little fun and punk their audiences. For gondolas, we’ve found two great stories so far: 1) A “green-lit” water-crossing cable car for the Isle of Wight, UK; and 2) A city-wide...

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Mar 22, 2016
Doppelmayr, Engineering, Infrastructure, Innovations, Stations

Next-Gen Ropeway Designs: D-Line by Doppelmayr

This week Doppelmayr released footage of its next generation ropeway system for detachable lifts, the D-Line. Alongside Youtube videos of the terminal design, the manufacturer also showcased its new cabins and grips. — — Among a slew of new features in the remodeled stations, a few will be be particularly attractive in city environments: Real glass design Low...

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Nov 25, 2015
Ask Tino, Infrastructure, Innovations, Questions, Statistics and Specifications

Maximum Travel Speed for a Cable Car

We recently received a great question from reader Roberto: I was wondering what is the maximum speed now registered in the world for a cable car. So far I know, reversible cable cars (43 kph, Portland, USA) go faster than the well known loop cable cars (27 kph, Val d’Isère, France), which is not clear to...

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