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Nov 09, 2010
Thoughts

A Silver Bullet Urban Gondola Transit System

If I could think of one “Silver Bullet Urban Gondola Transit System” – that is a system that perfectly demonstrates the concept of Urban Gondolas and Cable Propelled Transit, I’d imagine this: Integrated by fare. The system must use the same fare system as the rest of the city’s transit grid. It must be a...

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Nov 08, 2010
London Cable Car

London Cable Car (Gondola): A Watershed Moment for Urban Gondolas? Unlikely

With the possible exception of New York, there is arguably no more important city in the English-speaking world than London, England. During the summer of 2012 when the British capital hosts the Olympic Games, that city’s profile will be even higher. That’s why those of us interested in Cable Propelled Transit are watching the proposed...

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Nov 07, 2010
Sunday Statshot

Sunday Morning Statshot

A quick look at some of the statistics that make your cities work (or not): Average cost of daily parking in Manhattan: $31 George Costanza: My father never paid for parking, my mother, my brother, nobody Cont’d: A garage. I can’t even pull in there. It’s like going to a prostitute. Why should I pay,...

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Nov 06, 2010
Weekly Roundup

Weekly Roundup

A few highlights from the around the world of Urban Gondolas and Cable Propelled Transit: The City Fix profiles Haifa, Israel’s underground Funicular, calling it the shortest subway in the world. Mountainscene reports the Skyline gondola in Queenstown, New Zealand will be equipped to allow bicycles on the vehicles. The entire regeneration project should be...

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Nov 05, 2010
Nov 04, 2010
Uncategorized

Bombardier…

…is one of the largest manufacturers of public transit technologies in the world. And guess where they began. They started out building snow-mobiles. Feel free to draw your own comparisons.

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Nov 03, 2010
Midorizaka Skyrail, Oddities

The Midorizaka Skyrail

In 1998 a group of companies led by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Kobe Steel invented a new form of transit. The system, to be located in the town of Midorizaka, would blend aerial ropeway, monorail and people mover technologies to create something altogether unique. They called it the Skyrail. It operates at 18 km/hr, has...

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Nov 02, 2010
Oddities

(Old) Urban Gondola Transit In Sochi?

From the 1987 Russian film Assa comes the peculiar scene below – apparently set in Sochi, home of the 2014 Winter Olympics. The song, performed by Boris Grebenshchivkov is titled Golden City (thanks, Google Translate!). Does anyone know if this thing is still in operation? Does anyone know what it is?

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Nov 01, 2010
Uncategorized

After 365

Having finally reached 365 days of this whole gondola thing, I’m taking today off. Talk to you all tomorrow and thanks for all your kind words and support. The Gondola Project continues tomorrow.

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