Transit planning is a political act, no two ways about it. And as such, transit is subject to all the bumps and grinds characteristic of political and economic cycles.
But unlike smaller scale legacy projects (because, let’s be honest, transit is as much about legacy building as much as it is about transportation), transit is particularly susceptible to political change and cycle. Most transit projects take years – if not decades – to move from initial conception through to completion. Rail and subway projects take more time than any.
This points to one of the major advantages of cable transit. After all planning and approvals take place, a cable system can be manufactured, assembled and installed in a space of 10 – 14 months. This speed of installation is made possible by prefabricated parts being manufactured off-site in a climate-controlled environment.
As a cable system has a very small land footprint, business and commerce can continue at street level unabated while installation occurs. No worries about local merchants delaying a project due to concerns about lost parking spaces, vehicular or sidewalk traffic.
In general, because the low-cost and ease of construction of cable transit is so opposite of traditional transit technologies (except, maybe, local bus service) a system can move from conception through to operation in a space of time less than the standard term of political office. That means politicians willing to move forward with a cable transit project can do so without concern of political machinations and electoral cycles endangering those projects’ future.
Just read about the just announced cancellation of Toronto’s Transit City plan to see what I mean.
To realize transit projects, you need speed and brevity. Cable transit can provide that in spades.
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Great post. Here in Los Angeles the construction of the Red Line subway system that tunneled under Hollywood actually caused rumbling on the surface that led businessowners to sue Metro, and in one case caused Hollywood Boulevard to sink. It’s construction was halted constantly by new studies, be they sewage or archeological, when construction would suddenly bump into something they never expected to see and would then be set back a few more months and a few more million dollars.
The moral of the story here is that the integration of above ground, non-invasive transit systems, like gondolas or even monorails, could do the city of Los Angeles a world of good for only a fraction of the cost. All we’ve got to do is sell the idea to our playboy Mayor… which’ll be a feat in and of itself.