Ropeways are built for many reasons: skiing, sightseeing, amusement, public transport, and private transport. Yes, that’s right private transport. It’s actually more common than you might think. We’ve reported examples on the Gondola project before – like the Kriens funicular, Terra del Mar funicular, and of course, some of the rich and famous have their...
If you’ve ever been to Venice, you know that it is always busy and getting around is never easy. There are no roads, just canals and walkways between buildings which can suddenly shrink by 80%, courtesy of the unique and quaint if frustrating urban planning. If you’re in a hurry, learn to say ‘Permesso’ while...
Guest post by Ross Edgar. Cable Propelled Transit (CPT) is well established as the mode of transport of preference in ski resorts, and the use of CPT is becoming increasingly common in a mountainous setting for summer tourist activities (as discussed here and here). In addition, the profile of CPT is ever increasing as a...
Oddly, one of the simplest but greatest joys I’ve experienced as a parent were Saturday morning subway rides with my daughter when she was between 3 and 6 years old. She loved the whole experience, from giving a ticket to the attendant in the booth, to looking out the window as the tunnel lights rushed...
It’s important not to forget the importance of small victories. For example, last week a newspaper columnist wrote the following in Canada’s largest daily newspaper: “Can’t decide between an LRT or a subway? A busway or a gondola? Don’t expect help from these characters. Sorry. You are on your own.” The quote comes from a...
Last week, Steven wrote an interesting post about the psychology of travel decisions for public transit riders. Unlike driving, riding a bus or train tends involve a host of a variables (i.e. ticket price, wait times, transfer times, and dwell times) which ultimately affects a passenger’s decision. One of these factors, price, is probably one of...
The Atlantic Cities recently published an excellent article which documents the success of free transit in the French city of Châteauroux. Since it was first implemented in 2001, this demonitized public transport system has experienced significant growth in ridership — from an average of 21 rides per person annually to 61 rides today. More incredibly,...
This is a guest post by Scott Lane. As gas prices keep escalating, many people are turning away from cars as their primary mode of transportation. For a growing minority of us it is a combination of cars, bikes and buses. For those that like exercise and need to make the first and last leg...
Verisimilitude is a big word for a simple idea. Verisimilitude refers, quite simply, to fictional works of art that don’t replicate reality, but instead create an approximation of reality that feels realer than actual reality. TV shows built around lawyers, crime and courtrooms are notorious for this. CSI, Law & Order and Matlock have implanted...
The other day I discussed how modal choice often has less to do with the intrinsic qualities of a technology and more to do with extrinsic factors. Those comments caused something of a stir with people coming out saying a variation of the following: Light Rail is a scam. Light Rail is awesome. It depends....