Regular readers of The Gondola Project will recall that Chicago recently announced plans to (potentially) install a gondola along their waterfront pier. Then, not content with merely a point-to-point tourist-oriented system, The Gondola Project’s very own Chicago native, Julia Padvoiskis struck out and designed her own concept of a waterfront gondola that would actually function as a fully-integrated part of her hometown’s transit system.
Well, it looks like at least a few people took notice and think Julia’s idea idea has merit.
On Monday, The Chicago Architecture Blog ran a column entitled Wiring Chicago With Cable Cars and provided some sound analysis and critical breakdown of the concept. Of note:
The idea may seem absurd at first blush, but it’s no more strange than building an elevated railroad loop through the middle of downtown, or reversing the flow of a major river, or turning an abandoned naval training pier into the most visited tourist attraction in the Midwest.People in lots of cities use cable cars to get around every day. Portland, Oregon and New York leap to mind. I’ve been on both of those lines. And a quick bit of Googling shows that other American cities are considering it, including Saint Louis. There’s even a mine in Colorado that uses cable cars to move ore around. Even the fattest Bears fan and harshest Chicago winter is no match for a mining operation in Colorado.
It’s well worth a read. Congrats, Julia!
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