Photo by Châu Thông Phan from Pexels
Skyline Queenstown gondola in New Zealand is clearing a path for additional safety. As part of a multimillion-dollar upgrade, Skyline is clearing Douglas firs near the gondola. The work has been paused, to make sure there is no risk to park or gondola users, after a tree fell into the adjoining Kiwi Birdlife Park. The incident is being investigated to determine how the tree came down and if it was related to the forestry work being done.
Ba Den cable car in Vietnam opened with two new lines and the largest cable car station in the world. The $86.5 million MDG system designed by Doppelmayr, can transport 4,400 people per hour at a speed of 8 meters per second. The first line travels 1.85 km connecting the foot of the Ba Den Mountain to the mountain’s peak, taking 8 minutes rather than the4 hours required if hiking. The second line travels 1.21 km in 5 minutes connecting the foot of Ba Den Mountain to the foot of Ba Den Pagoda Mountain.
Futurist thinkers of all ages see the value of aerial transportation. A group of fifth and sixth graders from New Jersey, known as the “Bot Squad”, participated in the FIRST Robotics Competition. The competition challenged these students to think of environmentally friendly transportation options. The Bot Squad created a conceptual plan for a cable car in their city of Closter, powered by solar and wind power.
Supporters of the proposed Edmonton gondola expect it to have high ridership, but councilors are skeptical. In a feasibility study presented to the council 637,000 customers are anticipated in the first year. Edmonton residents have been expressing their concern to the press with letters against the proposal. Public outreach is the next phase for the implementation of the project. Further information about the project advancements will come January 28 when councilors discuss the gondola.
Sapanca cable car in Turkey begins pouring concrete. After permitting being initially delayed, the project is continuing to move forward, while locals continue to protest the system.