- Pittsburgh Regional Transit (PRT) will receive a federal grant to help fund a transit study. The study is set to investigate a new corridor known as NEXTransit, which will connect Oakland’s neighborhoods to its universities and hospitals. The study will look into several transit options that will integrate into the existing bus and light rail systems. For the steep slope portion of the proposed corridor the study will evaluate the feasibility of a gondola or funicular. PRT estimated the study to cost $825,000 and was awarded $594,000 from the grant which will require PRT to find additional funding or modify the study’s scope.
- The thousands of public comments received on the Little Cottonwood Canyon Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) has pushed Utah Department of Transportation’s (UDOT) schedule to present the final EIS. UDOT’s final EIS is scheduled to be released this summer announcing their preferred alternative. UDOT is still reviewing and responding to public comments which has extended the project schedule. While some residents are opposed to the gondola and want to protect the canyon, others are in favor and argue that the gondola will increase safety and capacity year-around while also improving air quality. See a related Weekly Roundup here.
- Steamboat Resort prepares the site for the Wild Blue Gondola in Colorado. The project is broken into two parts. The first leg of the gondola will open for the 2022-2023 winter season, connecting Steamboat Square and Greenhorn Ranch. The five-minute ride will increase uphill capacity from 6,000 to 10,000 people per hour (pph). The second leg’s alignment is currently getting trees cleared with helicopters. When completed, the Wild Blue Gondola will span 3.16 miles in 13 minutes, making it the longest and fastest 10-person gondola in North America.