Post by Gondola Project
- The Texan city of Plano is the first to show interest in the high-tech gondola pitched by Regional Transportation Council (RTC). Swyft Cities, the company behind the new gondola technology, is in search of a test site to set federal certification and regulatory standards. Plano has explored routes spanning eight miles, but the early test site will be smaller, spanning between two and three miles. Texan cities have until April 10 to apply to be considered for the test site. A previous Weekly Roundup (here) explains RTC and the plans that Swyft Cities has for the 21st-century gondola.
- Whistler’s Fitzsimmons Express chairlift replacement is underway. The current four-seater chairlift is being deconstructed. A new high-speed quad will replace the old Fitzsimmons Express. The new lift will increase the capacity by 1450 skiers per hour.
- An avalanche slid across State Highway 210, leaving skiers stranded. Skiers were ordered to shelter inside permanent structures from noon to 6:30 pm; unfortunately, poor road conditions resulted in vehicles bumper to bumper on the highway. This incident highlighted Utah Department of Transportation’s plan to build the gondola and how much quicker skiers could have made it home. There have been several instances in the winter where a gondola would have been safer, more reliable, and more efficient for people traveling along Little Cottonwood Canyon. See a related Weekly Roundup here.
- To increase sustainable energy, Leitner has invented the Intelligent Heat Detector (IHD). IHD enables an automatic regulation of seat heating by detecting the surface of the seat and individually heating occupied seats. This new technology can be implemented into both new and existing installations.
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.
