Cable car proposals in USA. Image by Gondola Project.
Naturally as the world’s 3rd most populous nation and one of the world’s most advanced, the United States is a huge market for any product — and of course, this includes Cable Propelled Transit (CPT).
While the US has a few urban ropeways to call its own (i.e. Portland, Roosevelt Island and Telluride to name a few), American cities still lag behind its counterparts in South America (and to a lesser degree its equivalents in Asia, Europe and Africa).
Nevertheless, the country is now waking up big time to the major developments in cable transit. Based on counts from our world urban gondola map, there are over 10 CPT proposals throughout the US, with seemingly a new American city announcing their gondola plans every few weeks.
While this awakening took some time, some transit planner may recall that this cable car movement is not so dissimilar to that found in other public transport technologies, namely Bus Rapid Transit (BRT). CPT, similar to BRT, was able to incubate in South American cities. These cities required innovative and cost-effective solutions to their age-old traffic problems and found that in cable technology.
Today, in just 42 years since the first BRT was built in Curitiba, Brazil rapid buses have spread to 186 cities, with over 4,700km (2,900mi) of lanes. In the US alone, nearly 40 BRT systems have been installed.
While past trends don’t necessarily reflect future prospects, if we use BRT as a barometer, CPT has a lot of room for growth.
We, at the Gondola Project, have always believed that multi-modal transport networks make the best cities. And in turn, this means that as cities become more familiar and comfortable with ropeway technology, planners will become more adept at integrating CPT into their plans.
Exactly how CPT might influence US cities is anyone’s guess but the next few years will undoubtedly be an exciting one for all transit planners, especially cable car supporters. Do you think gondolas will make an impact on the American urban landscape? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.