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• The City Fix profiles Haifa, Israel’s underground Funicular, calling it the shortest subway in the world.
• Mountainscene reports the Skyline gondola in Queenstown, New Zealand will be equipped to allow bicycles on the vehicles. The entire regeneration project should be complete by January of next year.
• Waikato Times reports on a Gondola proposal dividing New Zealand’s Te Aroha iwi.
• Punjab Newsline reports that despite a terrible economic downturn for tourism in the Indian region of Kashmir, the Gulmerg Gondola posted “encouraging” results. According to Punjab Newsline, Kashmir’s Gulmerg Gondola is the “world’s highest and Asia’s longest” ropeway.
• Darryl Chamberlain, a writer with Snipe (“the Londoner’s guide to London”) takes aim at the proposed London Thames Cable Car claiming – surprise, surprise – it bears a striking resemblance to the Marge Versus The Monorail episode of The Simpsons. Good to know a recycled, tired and shop-worn joke can always find a new place to call home. Too bad Mr. Chamberlain never took the time to learn that CPT is not a monorail.

Speaking of the London Cable Car, plans were submitted this week – with pictures! – and the UK corner of the internet lit up as expected:

• Londonist reports that the cable car (gondola) will be integrated with London’s Oyster fare card.
• The Docklands24 has a plethora of comments from London Mayor, Boris Johnson.
• Nick Raynsford MP questions whether this system will address the “‘much wider problem’ of the ‘absolutely hopeless cross river links’ in the area.” No one seems to have mentioned to Mr. Raynsford that building a cable car (gondola) across the Thames would actually create a cross river link, thereby helping to address the problems he mentions.
• bdonline.co.uk has a wealth of typically misinformed comments on the system. Among the best: Stephen Pennington writes “Seems totally unsuitable for moving large numbers of people as has been pointed out. Ferries, hovercraft, hydrofoils would all do a much better job at a fraction of the price.” Mr. Pennington would do well to research the matter further.
• London Reconnections has compiled some important snippets of information from the actual planning application.
• Architects Journal, unsurprisingly focuses on the architects behind the proposal, Wilkinson Eyre.
• And a little eye candy:

The London Cable Car.

The London Cable Car Terminal