A great documentary report from Deutsche Welle on the Medellin Metrocable. Not only does it focus on the time-savings of the system, but also how Medellin’s system qualifies for carbon-trading schemes to offset O&M costs. Thanks to Günther Ecker for passing along this link!
True story: While I was touring the Caracas Metrocable earlier this year, myself and my guide were joined by an elderly gentleman in our gondola. Via my guide, I asked the man how he felt about the system. Did he like it? Any complaints? He said he loved it – except for all the time...
There’s no nice way to say this, but here goes: Had the Metrocables of Medellin and Venezuela been built in a place like Denver, Copenhagen or Zurich, this conversation about cable transit would be entirely different than it is now. Cities would be building these things faster than the industry could keep up. We wouldn’t...
Others might disagree with my selection, but if you’re new to the world of Cable Propelled Transit (CPT) and Urban Gondolas, these are the 7 aerial systems you need to know about:
Colombia Reports is reporting that Medellin’s Metrocable Linea K has been suspended due to damage from gunfire. It seems that recent economic troubles in Colombia coupled with increasing tensions between the La Agonia and La Divisa gangs exploded on Tuesday in a hail of bullets. The neighborhood of Santo Domingo (where Linea K exists) was...
Last month CUP conducted a study of all planned, conceived or under-construction cable systems in South America. Our findings shocked even us: Almost 5 dozen systems are in the works on that continent and that number doesn’t even include Brazil (because of the Portuguese language issues – as in, we don’t speak Portuguese), the largest...
It’s only a matter of time before someone builds an urban gondola or Cable Propelled Transit system in your world. It’s only a matter of when, where and whose first. I know this because I read dozens of documents and reports from amateurs and professionals alike, answer a fair bit of email and listen to...
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...
At the request of one reader, here’s a map of Metro Medellin including Metrocable lines and their transfer points to the Metro system as a whole.