Weekly Roundup

24
Mar

2023

Weekly Roundup: Proposed Upgrades to Taos Ski Valley Include New and Improved Transit Options

Improvements to the New Mexican resort set to include a brand new gondola line, two advanced chairlifts, additional trails and skiing areas, and upgrades to existing tourist, dining, and comfort facilities. Image credit: “Taos Ski Valley, New Mexico,” by Murray Foubister, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
  • The Welsh government is to contribute £4 million for the Skyline Swansea. This is one of the largest investments into the tourism and hospitality sector for the Country of Wales. Skyline Enterprises wants the Skyline Swansea to connect the Hafod-Morfa Copperworks area to the top of Kilvey Hill, where there will be activities such as luge runs, zipline, sky swing, and trails. See a related Weekly Roundup here.
  • The Taos Ski Valley resort in New Mexico is awaiting approval for a new gondola. The draft environmental assessment for the project, as well as other proposed developments, is under review. The U.S. Forest Service has already approved the resort’s master plan. The gondola would connect the resort’s frontside main base with Kachina Basin to alleviate traffic congestion. Public comments close in early April, and construction for the gondola is anticipated to begin this summer. Other projects in the area are to replace two lifts with faster, higher-capacity lifts.
  • The Federal Mint Swissmint launched a new silver coin featuring the Klien Matterhorn cable car. The coin is part of the “Swiss special coins” brand to mark the construction of the new cable car between Zermatt and Italy. The coin has the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise mountain station and a modern 3S cabin.


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.

Weekly Roundup
0
Comments
17
Mar

2023

Weekly Roundup: Discover the Highest Ski Lift in the World

The Aiguille du Midi, also sometimes known as the “Needle of the Mid-Day,” is home to the tallest and steepest ski lift in the world. It is popular not only with skiers, but tourists too – the ride features breathtaking panoramic views, and the upper station boasts terraces, viewing areas, a souvenir shop, and a cafe regarded as one of the highest restaurants in the world .
  • The city of Seoul plans to build a gondola across the Han River. The intention is to connect major leisure attractions and cultural sites on the river’s banks. While station locations have not yet been selected, there are four options currently being examined. The local government will start accepting construction proposals after doing initial environmental impact and technical feasibility studies. There is no timeline for the project.
  • The world’s highest ski lift is in one of the oldest resorts in France, Chamonix Mont-Blanc. The Aiguille du Midi cable car rises a total of 9,209 feet in just 2.3 miles. The system has three stations total, with the elevation for the lower, mid, and upper stations being 3,392 feet, 7,602 feet, and 12,395 feet, respectively. The journey from the mid station to the upper is the steepest vertical climb by any ski lift in the world. The system is not only used by skiers, but over the years has become a popular tourist attraction due to its beautiful panoramic views.


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.

Weekly Roundup
0
Comments
10
Mar

2023

Weekly Roundup: Take a Ride from Bed to Bath and Back with Hotel Iyaonsen’s New Cable Car

Iya Valley
Hotel Iyaonsen is one of Japan’s most isolated hotels, featuring secluded, scenic views and beautiful open-air baths. Their new cable car lift will ferry guests from the hotel down to the hot springs, gifting them with gorgeous, panoramic view of the Iya Valley in the process. Image: “Iya Valley” by ©Christian Kaden on Flickr (Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 4.0).


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.

Weekly Roundup
0
Comments
03
Mar

2023

Weekly Roundup: Ministry of Environment Approves Cable Car Project in South Korean National Park

A scenic view of Mt. Seorak, South Korea, from near the site of the current cable car line; the construction of a second line has been approved and is set to begin operation in 2026, provided that it follows all of the environmentally-conscious conditions put into place by the Ministry of Environment. Image: “Seoraksan National Park, near cable-car” by Olga Lipunova, CC BY-SA 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
  • Mount Seymour in Vancouver, Canada, will have a new chairlift for the 2023-24 winter season. The newly revamped quad chairlift will increase capacity by 70% over the original lift, traveling 2.3 meters per second and having larger chairs. The new lift will replace the existing Lodge chairlift that serves the base area to the lowest point of skiable terrain. A notable feature of the new lift is the improved speed of the conveyor loading skiers. Construction is set to be completed during the summer.
  • The cable car project on Mount Seorak has been approved. Mount Seorak is part of a national park in Gangwon, South Korea. The project was approved by the Ministry of Environment, but comes with a number of conditions related to protecting the environment. The vision for a project of this kind dates back to 1982, when a cable car was first proposed. It would be the second cable car on Mount Seorak, with the first one having opened in the 1970’s. If the project moves forward, the system is expected to begin operating in 2026 and will cost over 50 billion won ($38 million USD).
  • New Hampshire’s iconic tram is close to retirement, and there exists some controversy surrounding what type of cable-propelled system should replace it. The original tram began operation in 1938 and was the first passenger aerial tram in North America; the 1938 tram was replaced in 1980 with the current system, and with another substitution now on the horizon, locals are insistent that system type remain the same. State officials are leaning towards installing a gondola, which would be cheaper and faster than the tram due to the increased frequency of the cabins arriving at the stations.


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.

Weekly Roundup
0
Comments
24
Feb

2023

Weekly Roundup: Big News from Montana’s Big Sky Resort

Big Sky Resort in Bozeman, Montana, where ten years of improvements are finally reaching an end, resulting in new hotels, amenities, dining and retail – oh my! Image: Big Sky Resort by A-Reck, CC BY-SA 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
  • Big Sky Resort in Bozeman, Montana, is wrapping up their decade-long infrastructure improvements. The resort’s Vision 2025 plan budgeted tens of millions of dollars for new aerial ropeway systems and resort amenities. New additions encompass a series of high-speed lifts, include four lifts with bubble chairs, one 8-seater chairlift, and the nation’s fastest 6-person chairlift. The final phase of the project is a base-to-summit connection via a gondola and aerial tram. The improvements will increase the skiable terrain, making it the second or third largest resort in the United States.
  • The Massachusetts historic ski resort, Berkshire East, is planning to install two new chairlifts. The plan is to install two high-speed quad chairlifts over the next two years. The first lift has already been ordered and is projected to open for the 2023-24 season. This first lift would go from the base of the Competition trail up to the summit; the second lift will take place of the Mountain Top Triple. 
  • Transdev was awarded the operating contract for the new urban gondola in the greater Paris region. The six-year contract will also include the operation of 15 bus lines. This gondola will be the first cable car line in the greater Paris region, connecting the end station of a metro line and the Bois Matar neighborhood. A ride on the 4.5-kilometer gondola will take 20 minutes, and the line will transport 11,000 passengers daily once commissioned. Cabins will arrive every 22 to 27 seconds, which will require little to no wait to ride the gondola.


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.

Weekly Roundup
0
Comments
10
Feb

2023

Weekly Roundup: Two New Gondolas to Aid Tourism and Urban Development in German Cities

    Göppingen mit Hohenstaufen
    The German city of Herne will soon feature a new edition to its scenic landscape: a gondola system to increase tourism, bolster urban and economic development, and improve transit. Image: from the Göppingen mit Hohenstaufen collection (https://flic.kr/p/2eG25Lh) by to.wi (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0) on Flickr.
    • There is a planned urban gondola for the German city of Herne. The preliminary work on the project has begun, as was announced by the Mayor of Herne, Franz Dudde, at a local New Year’s event. The gondola will connect the General Blumenthal colliery wasteland to downtown Wanne. In addition to improving transit, the gondola is anticipated to positively impact tourism and urban development. Because the gondola would be electrically powered, it would also help minimize the temperature rise in the city.  


    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.

    Weekly Roundup
    0
    Comments
    03
    Feb

    2023

    Weekly Roundup: Continued Progress on the Santo Domingo Cable Car and More

    Teleférico de Santo Domingo
    Line #1 of the Santo Domingo cable car has been in operation since May of 2018; Line 2, which will add four more stations and is estimated to transport an additional 4,500 passengers, will open later this month.
    Image: 42103287050_65fce83b71_o.jpg (https://www.flickr.com/photos/presidenciard/42103287050/in/photostream/) by Gobierno Danilo Medina (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0).
    • America’s first scenic tramway, Estes Park Tramway, is set to close after six decades. The tramway, also known as an aerial tram, is located in Colorado. The system was designed and built by Robert Heron and has been operated by the Heron family since opening in 1955. The system spans 1,060 feet with no towers between the bottom and top station. The travel time to reach the top of Prospect Mountain takes two minutes and twenty seconds. The family is hoping a new owner comes forward to take over the business.
    • The port city of Genoa, Italy, plans to build a gondola. The project is anticipated to begin at the end of Summer 2023, with a route of approximately 2.2 kilometers and three stations. There is opposition from locals, but the public authority believes the system will not only improve mobility in the city, but also boost tourism. The 35-million-euro contract was awarded to Doppelmayr Italia.   


    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.

    Weekly Roundup
    0
    Comments