Post by Charlotte Boffetti.
For French version of this post, please click here.
In just one year, four different groups have proposed four different cable car concepts in Lyon — France’s second largest city. Throughout the country, there are roughly a dozen urban gondola proposals in various stages of the planning and development process. Some are in detailed design while others are still very much in the idea stage.
Tramway Aerien proposal rendering. Screenshot from Youtube user jean-marc Bergue.
CPT is becoming increasingly popular and recognized for its ability to solve urban transit challenges. In fact, this focus on cable cars is partially related to the proceedings of the “Grenelle de l’environnement” — a large conference which promotes sustainable development. During this meeting, cable cars were seen as a new best practice for enhancing public transit and encouraging the development of sustainable transport policy.
Since then, the idea has reached the tables of many different political parties, municipal governments and practicing professionals.
As part of our ongoing journey to document and examine urban CPT systems across the world, I thought it would be interesting to focus in on the Lyon concepts and examine how it is planning to improve transportation connectivity in the City.
Proposal 1 : “Tramway Aérien” – 8.5 km, 9 stations
The first proposal (2012) — Tramway Aérien — was developed by “Club de l’Ours”, a think tank of public and private actors in Lyon. Their concept was to link several major points throughout the downtown area. Based on their estimates, the system will cost €60 million.
Tramway Aerien proposed route. Image from Google Map.
Proposal 2 : “Aérotram” – 6 km, 7 stations
The Aérotram proposal was developed by Eric Lafond, a centrist candidate in the upcoming 2014 municipal elections. This proposed alignment is very similar to Tramway Aérien system and follows almost the exact same route. The major difference is a reduction in line length and stations.
Aerotram proposed alignment. Image from Google Maps.
Proposal 3
The third proposal (2013) was developed by Georges Fenech, a right party candidate who’s also vying for a position in the next election. Unfortunately, there are currently no details on his proposal.
Proposal 4 : “Télécabine Urbain” – 7 km, 9 stations
The fourth proposal (2012) has come from “Agir la Mulatière”, an association linked to a left-wing party. Unlike the aforementioned concepts, they have proposed a completely different route. Their plan is to connect Lyon’s western periphery to the downtown area.
Telecabine Urbaine Alignment. Image from Google Maps.
With the municipal election approaching (2014), cable cars have become a significant political topic. CPT proposals have been included in the program of two different candidates from two different political parties. Will they compete for the idea? Possibly, but it would be really amazing if thanks to cable car, all political parties can actually agree on something!
General Thoughts
It seems that most proposals, if not all of them, are responses to existing transit issues related to congestion and accessibility. Because of the many topographical challenges in Lyon (i.e. 3 hills and 2 rivers), providing rapid transit connectivity to some parts of the city has been difficult with traditional transit technologies.
With that said, it is important to note that Lyon already benefits from a large and highly connected road and public transport network. The City is made up of more than 120 bus lines, 4 metro lines, 2 funiculars, 4 tram lines, 3 tram-train lines and 320 km of bike lanes. However, even with the City’s extensive transport network today, it can still be challenging or long to access some parts of Lyon.
In addition, since the City is still plagued with congestion problems, implementing a CPT line could be a great complement to the overall public transit network. It can have a real impact on the lives of Lyon’s residents by improving mobility options and by offering the chance to easily navigate over/across hills and rivers. From a policy perspective, CPT supports the City’s transportation plans/objectives which encourages alternative modes of transport.
So the big questions remain. Are these concepts credible and feasible? And can they really improve traffic and mobility in Lyon? In our next post, we will examine these proposals more closely and provide some additional comments and observations. Stay tuned!
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