Sky-high transit a possibility for gridlocked Canadians
bootlegga @ Thu Jan 05, 2012 2:20 pm
$1:
Anyone who's spent years fighting big city gridlock has probably fantasized, at some point, about a viable alternative to ground traffic.
And while engineers have yet to come up with a Jetsons-style air car that can soar through the sky unfettered by gravity, a small pocket of Canadian cities are considering gondola transit — a network of cable cars that could transport commuters across town with an aerial view of the growing vehicle buildup below.
As the Toronto Star reports, a number of international cities have already adopted the gondola system, also known as cable-propelled transit (CPT), which can move up to 6,000 passengers per hour through a channel of motorless, engineless cars in the sky.
The cars are attached by grips, supported from above by a steel cable, and propelled by an off-board engine.
For environmentalists, the paper says the system's use of electricity rather than diesel fuel also provides a cleaner ride.
The technology has proved particularly attractive to places with mountainous terrain: Venezuela, Colombia, and Brazil have already incorporated a form of CPT to favourable results.
Similar projects are currently underway in London, Algeria, and Germany.
In Canada, Vancouver, Calgary, and Laval, Que. have expressed interest in learning more about the airborne transit alternative.
"It's not out of the blue. A number of jurisdictions around the world have started using this as a public transit mode," University of Toronto transportation engineer Amer Shalaby told the Star, adding that at its rush hour peak Toronto's busy Queen streetcar line carries only 1,800 passengers, while neighbourhood bus routes peak at 300.
Vancouver will release a business case this month for a CPT system that would run up Burnaby Mountain to Simon Fraser University and a residential complex close by.
TransLink spokesman Ken Hardie said treacherous weather conditions during the winter months made for a strong argument.
"Because it's on top of a mountain, it gets snow before ground level. Right now we serve the university with very large articulated buses that have to go up and down that hill. There are 10 to 15 days a year they can't make it to campus because road conditions are so poor," he said.
Hardie also pointed out the success of the Peak 2 Peak gondola in Whistler, a system that uses new three-rope technology to make its cars faster and more stable against wind resistance.
In Laval, the city has issued a request for studies examining the benefits of cable car that would link their Metro with a shopping and entertainment complex.
Calgary briefly considered a gondola to connect its C-train to hospitals and the university, but the city decided to focus instead on expanding its light rail and ground transportation.
And while engineers have yet to come up with a Jetsons-style air car that can soar through the sky unfettered by gravity, a small pocket of Canadian cities are considering gondola transit — a network of cable cars that could transport commuters across town with an aerial view of the growing vehicle buildup below.
As the Toronto Star reports, a number of international cities have already adopted the gondola system, also known as cable-propelled transit (CPT), which can move up to 6,000 passengers per hour through a channel of motorless, engineless cars in the sky.
The cars are attached by grips, supported from above by a steel cable, and propelled by an off-board engine.
For environmentalists, the paper says the system's use of electricity rather than diesel fuel also provides a cleaner ride.
The technology has proved particularly attractive to places with mountainous terrain: Venezuela, Colombia, and Brazil have already incorporated a form of CPT to favourable results.
Similar projects are currently underway in London, Algeria, and Germany.
In Canada, Vancouver, Calgary, and Laval, Que. have expressed interest in learning more about the airborne transit alternative.
"It's not out of the blue. A number of jurisdictions around the world have started using this as a public transit mode," University of Toronto transportation engineer Amer Shalaby told the Star, adding that at its rush hour peak Toronto's busy Queen streetcar line carries only 1,800 passengers, while neighbourhood bus routes peak at 300.
Vancouver will release a business case this month for a CPT system that would run up Burnaby Mountain to Simon Fraser University and a residential complex close by.
TransLink spokesman Ken Hardie said treacherous weather conditions during the winter months made for a strong argument.
"Because it's on top of a mountain, it gets snow before ground level. Right now we serve the university with very large articulated buses that have to go up and down that hill. There are 10 to 15 days a year they can't make it to campus because road conditions are so poor," he said.
Hardie also pointed out the success of the Peak 2 Peak gondola in Whistler, a system that uses new three-rope technology to make its cars faster and more stable against wind resistance.
In Laval, the city has issued a request for studies examining the benefits of cable car that would link their Metro with a shopping and entertainment complex.
Calgary briefly considered a gondola to connect its C-train to hospitals and the university, but the city decided to focus instead on expanding its light rail and ground transportation.
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/blogs/dailybre ... 37216.html
I don't know about in cities with extreme temperatures in winter (Edmonton and Calgary), but it sounds like it might work in other cities - what do you think?
Bruce_E_T @ Thu Jan 05, 2012 2:32 pm
bootlegga bootlegga:
I don't know about in cities with extreme temperatures in winter (Edmonton and Calgary), but it sounds like it might work in other cities - what do you think?
I think it is a great idea. Not sure if cold is a factor as possibly it could be engineered around as it has been with motor vehicles. In any case it sidesteps snow obstruction.
It sounds ideal for a larger city. You could move large numbers of people from the city limits/suburbs into a downtown quickly without any impact on the existing street traffic. Above the maddening crowd, so to speak.
sandorski @ Thu Jan 05, 2012 3:15 pm
Interesting. Probably a lot cheaper than a rail line as well. It certainly would be much easier to integrate into current spaces available.
DanSC @ Thu Jan 05, 2012 3:18 pm
If so I'm blaring this on a boombox every time I ride.
Gunnair @ Thu Jan 05, 2012 3:20 pm
Hell of a lot cheaper to build - I would think.
Average cost of LRT per kilometers varies from $15 million to $225 million per kilometre.
One would think cables and towers would be cheaper (maybe combine with cell service as well)
OnTheIce @ Thu Jan 05, 2012 5:06 pm
Great idea for the Greater Toronto Area. ![[B-o]](./images/smilies/drinkup.gif "Drink up")
Strutz @ Thu Jan 05, 2012 5:20 pm
Good idea for consideration. I'm sure there's lots of places that could implement this.
Canadaka @ Fri Jan 06, 2012 12:07 am
I think there is a gondola being built or considered here up Burnaby mountain to the SFU campus.
Bruce_E_T @ Fri Jan 06, 2012 1:04 am
OnTheIce OnTheIce:
Great idea for the Greater Toronto Area.
That was my first thought. Transportation over congestion.
Would have to be evaluated on a case by case basis generally.
Canadian_Mind @ Fri Jan 06, 2012 7:29 am
This is a good thread over at SSP that talks about the Burnaby Mountain proposal: http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=164851
Personally I don't like it. But if it works it works, right?
Gunnair @ Fri Jan 06, 2012 8:16 am
OnTheIce OnTheIce:
Great idea for the Greater Toronto Area.
I would think. The numbers I was seeing for LRT and subway per kilometre in the GTA was astounding!
Hell even on the Island the chatter abiut an LRT runnin close to a billion (which I'm sure would go up if it was actually built)
Brenda @ Fri Jan 06, 2012 8:50 am
I wouldn't use it, too afraid of heights (or more, depths). But for everyone who is not? Sure!
stokes @ Fri Jan 06, 2012 10:16 am
It is interesting but I couldnt do it especially on windy days, I dont see it working in an area that has a large number of power failures every year.....imagine getting stuck in that thing with no power, and no way to get you down....yikes
PublicAnimalNo9 @ Fri Jan 06, 2012 10:19 am
stokes stokes:
It is interesting but I couldnt do it especially on windy days, I dont see it working in an area that has a large number of power failures every year.....imagine getting stuck in that thing with no power, and no way to get you down....yikes
That's what backup generators are for
stokes @ Fri Jan 06, 2012 10:24 am
PublicAnimalNo9 PublicAnimalNo9:
stokes stokes:
It is interesting but I couldnt do it especially on windy days, I dont see it working in an area that has a large number of power failures every year.....imagine getting stuck in that thing with no power, and no way to get you down....yikes
That's what backup generators are for
Have you seen the crap our government buys? I wouldnt be caught dead on one of those things....especially in BC