Post by Steven Dale
The Calgary Plus 15 Network. Public Domain.
A Plus 15 bridge with abstract metal sculptures in Calgary's downtown core. Image by Spatial Mongrel.
Calgary, Alberta, Canada is a city of around 1 million people. It’s the financial centre of Canada’s petrol economy and is very, very cold. Average temperatures range from a low of -15°C (5°F) to a high of 10°C (49°F).
Calgarians are therefore blessed with a network of elevated walkways called the Plus 15 System. This network enables movement throughout the financial district and downtown core without stepping outside. The Plus 15 network’s 16 km of length and 59 bridges make it the largest such system in the world.
The Plus 15, whose name refers to the height at which these bridges are above street level, is not without controversy. Some feel that the network’s 16 km and 59 bridges rob the street of pedestrian traffic and life. But that’s not the point or reason I wish to draw attention to this system.
Instead, consider the following images:
A multistory bridge is just one of 59 bridges that make up Calgary's Plus 15 Network. Image by the Calgary Downtown Association.
Image by John Vetterli.
Image by fredthechicken.
Image by kootenayvolcano.
Some of the bridges are purely utilitarian and others are architectural marvels. But again, that’s not the point. In yesterday’s post we discussed the new Baden Gondelbahn proposal. One of the images from that new proposal was this:
Image by PD via Tages Anzeiger.
See the point now? Integrating Urban Gondolas and Cable Propelled Transit into dense urban environments may not be so difficult after all.
Want more? Purchase Cable Car Confidential: The Essential Guide to Cable Cars, Urban Gondolas & Cable Propelled Transit and start learning about the world's fastest growing transportation technologies.
Want more? Purchase Cable Car Confidential: The Essential Guide to Cable Cars, Urban Gondolas & Cable Propelled Transit and start learning about the world's fastest growing transportation technologies.
