Post by Steven Dale
This piece was first published on The Gondola Project in 2010 but it is still highly relevant and useful. It’s about keeping your head low to the ground being unobtrusive; useful advice from a Canadian.
There’s a story about Cable Propelled Transit, Aerial Ropeways and Urban Gondolas that only hurts the technology’s future. Unfortunately, the industry does little to stop the spread of this story.
The story is simple: If you build an urban gondola, you’ll have vehicles flying over tall buildings, hundreds of feet in the air!
This story is bad for cable. Here’s why:
- The higher in the air your system is, the higher your insurance is likely to be.
- The higher in the air your system is, the more complex your rescue operations will be.
- Flying over top of a building will drag out your approvals process unless those who own the building just happen to be your friends.
- The higher in the air your system is, the more expensive it will be.
- The higher in the air your system is, the more disconnected it is from the urban fabric. Towers will be large and imposing.
So here’s how to re-shape the story: Build your system tall enough so that all traffic can pass under it safely, but no taller. Wherever possible, keep the route within public rights of way like parks, boulevards, highway medians and natural features. Go Low Profile.

The Telluride Gondola is an excellent example of how “low profile” gondolas improve cable transit. Image by Chazz Layne.
Here’s how going Low Profile changes the story:
- Urban Gondolas can avoid all street level traffic because they operate in the air.
- Low Profile Urban Gondolas can be effectively woven into the urban fabric due to the small size of the towers.
- Low Profile Urban Gondolas are extremely cost-effective due to simple engineering.
- Low Profile Urban Gondolas can be evacuated using standard fire rescue equipment because they are no more than 2-4 stories off the ground.
- Because they’re located within public rights of way such as highways, parks and boulevards, Urban Gondolas do not cause privacy concerns among citizens.
- Low Profile Urban Gondolas do not provoke fear in the rider, because they are no more than 2-4 stories off the ground.
- Low Profile Urban Gondolas broadcast their speed and efficiency to pedestrians, drivers and cyclists. They provide a constant, visual cue.
Check out our new Low Profile Gondolas link in the Image Gallery!
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.