Post by gondola-project

• The city of Bordeaux in southern France plans to install a cable car as part of the public transit system. The system will connect the suburb of Lormont on the east bank of the river to Bacalan on the west bank. The exact route is still unknown, but alternatives can be seen in this article. The system budget is between €53m to €73m depending on the ultimate alignment. The system is anticipated to improve mobility for underserviced areas. The French cities of Brest and Toulouse have already integrated cable cars into their transit networks, and Grenoble is also planning a cable car for the suburbs of Paris.

• Court favors Los Angeles Aerial Rapid Transit (ART) over the opposition. The opposition felt the project did not go through the proper channels when the project was advanced without competitive bidding. The project was presented as an unsolicited proposal to Metro’s Office of Extraordinary Innovation with the understanding that the project would be privately funded and would reimburse Metro’s staffing costs. See a related Weekly Roundup here. SCJ Alliance is part of this project.

• The Little Cottonwood Canyon gondola project continues to hear from supporters and opponents. Little Cottonwood Canyon is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Utah, and its close proximity to the Salt Lake Airport has increased the number of visitors to Alta Ski Resort. Safety risks due to avalanches and icy road conditions are increased with high traffic volumes. Several agencies have studied the alternatives and concluded that the gondola was the best option. An educational website, Gondola Works, highlights the benefits of the project. See a related Weekly Roundup here.

• Juneau approved a deal with Goldbelt Inc. to invest in their gondola project. Goldbelt Inc. will invest $10 million towards the installation and construction of the pulse gondola purchased from Austria by the City and Borough of Juneau. In return, Goldbelt will receive between 10-25% of the gondola’s anticipated summer revenue over the next 25 years, or longer, until the corporation is paid back a minimum of $20 million. The system is expected to open in the spring of 2027. See a related Weekly Roundup here. SCJ Alliance is part of this project.

• The Skyline Gondola in New Zealand is getting revamped. The current 4-person gondola system will be replaced with a 10-person gondola. The project is broken into three phases, with the anticipation of the new gondola opening in December of this year. This project will require the entire existing system to be removed, including the stations and towers.