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May 18, 2010
Analysis, Design Considerations

Calgary’s Plus 15 Network: The Key to Urban Gondolas?

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...

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Apr 27, 2010
Analysis, Urban Planning & Design

TTC Triples Price of Metropass (For Some)

Last week the Toronto Star carried an article titled Free Metropasses latest Condo Perk. The title suggests a pleasant surprise; a quality gesture designed to enhance the lives of Torontonians. It is a ‘perk’ after all. Problem is, this is no perk. This is a City-mandated program which in essence triples the price of Metropasses for new...

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Apr 20, 2010
Analysis, Urban Planning & Design

Public Transit is Scary for Women

Tactic 6 is the most important because it increases both perceived and actual levels of safety for all because riders can self-segregate as they see fit. It is also a tactic that only CPT can offer. The reason cable alone can offer this is simple: Drivers are too busy driving to be attendants. And if you...

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Apr 16, 2010
Analysis, ICTS, Thoughts, Urban Planning & Design

To Investigate Or Not To Investigate

I was recently confronted with an argument against Cable Propelled Transit which I’d never heard before and it intrigued me. Okay, maybe it wasn’t an argument exactly, but it was certainly a challenge: Is it a wise idea to investigate another new transit technology? Given how long it currently takes for government to decide upon,...

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Apr 06, 2010
Analysis, Medellin MetroCable

Eyes On The Street

In her seminal work The Death and Life of Great American Cities, urban theorist Jane Jacobs declared that a safe street or neighborhood was one that had plenty of “eyes” on it. That is, the more people use a street, the safer it becomes. Criminals, after all, don’t like the prying eyes of strangers and...

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Apr 05, 2010
Analysis, Urban Planning & Design

Be Skeptical About Cable Propelled Transit

I love skeptics. Skeptics are a necessary check and balance in our entire system. They’re also some of the most positive and exciting individuals you’ll come across. There is a difference, however, between healthy skepticism and cynicism, even though the two terms are often used interchangeably. Skeptics challenge the status quo and vet new ideas....

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Apr 04, 2010
Analysis, Just For Fun, Thoughts, Urban Planning & Design

Eight Transit Systems That Are Great Marketing Tools

When done right, public transit becomes more than just infrastructure. It becomes a symbol and a form of marketing itself. It becomes famous and accomplishes the same thing as any famous building, landmark or museum. Here then, are eight public transit vehicles/systems that have transcended being merely transportation and are instead signals of sophistication, ingenuity,...

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Apr 03, 2010
Analysis, Research Issues, Urban Planning & Design

5 Useful Cable Websites

Right now, the major source of information about cable tech comes from skiing-related sources. Here’s five useful ones. They’re not all in English. And they’re not all up to date, but they represent some of the few resources cable’s got: Bergbahnen.org Lift-world.info Skilifts.org Funi Forum Ropeways.net Part of what holds cable back is a lack...

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Apr 02, 2010
Analysis, Thoughts, Urban Planning & Design

Preserve Your Legacy

Transit planning is a political act, no two ways about it. And as such, transit is subject to all the bumps and grinds characteristic of political and economic cycles. But unlike smaller scale legacy projects (because, let’s be honest, transit is as much about legacy building as much as it is about transportation), transit is...

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Mar 30, 2010
Analysis, History

Toys For Tourists

You can classify urban Cable Propelled Transit systems in three ways: The first category are those lines that are integrated into public transit systems. These may be used by tourists, but tourists are not the target market; local weekday commuters are. The Portland Aerial Tram, Roosevelt Island Tram, Medellin Metrocable, Perugia MiniMetro and Caracas Metrocable,...

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