Weekly Roundup « The Gondola Project

Weekly Roundup

14
Apr

2023

Weekly Roundup: Afyonkarahisar’s Dream Nears Reality as Progress Continues on Turkish Cable Car Line

Afyonkarahisar Castle, a historical fortification located in Western Turkey, will soon be home to a cable car that will connect it to nearby Erdal Akar Park. Once the ropeway is complete, citizens and tourists alike will be able to take a scenic ride between the two points and enjoy a unique view of the city. Image credit: “Burgberg Afyonkarahisar 03” by Ingeborg Simon, (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Wikimedia Commons.

Dursey Cable Car’s opening date has been postponed. The cable car had been set to open on Easter, but was delayed due to bad weather and sea conditions that make essential repairs challenging. The system was closed in March of 2022 to replace the towers and was supposed to reopen in November of 2022. Unfortunately, delays continue, and officials now say the system will be open to the public by early April. Once the new track ropes are installed, the system can be inspected. Once the system receives approval from the Commission for Railway Regulations, the system will be able to begin operation once again. See a related weekly roundup here.
The Afyonkarahisar Castle cable car in Turkey is under construction . The cable car will travel 585 meters from Akar Park to Karahisar Castle. The system will have two stations and eight cabins. The excavations, building foundations, and utilities have been completed, and the system is anticipated to open in August.
Summit Triple is to be replaced by Mountaineer Express at Attitash Mountain Resort in New Hampshire. Summit Triple did its last loop before retiring to be replaced by a high-speed quad supplied by Leitner-Poma. The new lift will increase the capacity from 1500 people per hour (pph) to 2400 pph. The Mountaineer Express will decrease the ride time from the previous 16-to-18-minute ride to 6 minutes.
Dominica will be building the world’s longest monocable. The 6.6 km monocable detachable gondola (MDG) will connect the world’s second-largest boiling lake to the capital city Roseau. The system will increase accessibility and job opportunities while preserving the island’s cultural and natural heritage. Doppelmayr will be constructing the project.

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07
Apr

2023

Weekly Roundup: ‘Mexicable 2 – Línea Verde,’ an Exciting New Chapter in Mexico’s Public Transit Story

Mexicable 2 – Línea Verde officially opened March 30. The Línea Verde fills a major gap in the Ecatepec de Morelos ropeway network that will consist of three interconnected cable car lines in the future. The 8.5-kilometer system has seven stations. The system begins at the Mexicable 1 – Línea Roja Hank Gonzalez station and ends at the subway station of Indios Verdes. The system has the capacity to move 3,000 passengers per hour per direction (pphpd) with 300 cabins.
The gondola project in Eastern Ireland is open to public consultation. The gondola connects Donard Park in New Castle to Northern Ireland’s highest mountain, Slieve Donard. Part of the project site is situated on land classified as a Special Area of Conservation which raises environmental concerns from the National Trust. The National Trust is pushing for a full environmental impact assessment of the project. If the £44 million project advances as planned, the system should be open in 2029.
At the Dodgers opening home game day, protesters against the Los Angeles Aerial Rapid Transit (LA ART) set to tell fans that the Dodger Stadium Express (Express) is better for the community than the gondola. The Express is a free transit program for major events at the stadium. Buses will take ticket holders from either Union Station or Harbor Gateway Transit Center to the stadium. The Express bus restarted a few months after the Los Angeles Aerial Rapid Transit’s (LA ART) draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) was released. The gondola is viewed by opposition as intrusive and not a better solution to the Express bus. See a related Weekly Roundup here. SCJ Alliance is part of this project.

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31
Mar

2023

Weekly Roundup: High-Tech Gondolas On the Horizon for the Lone Star State

Plano, TX, is the first city to show interest in the autonomous gondolas pitched by the state’s Regional Transportation Council. These high-tech gondolas, if successfully completed, would to relieve traffic in the Lone Star State’s most congested and populated areas. Image: “DART Downtown Plano station” by Danazar, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

The Texan city of Plano is the first to show interest in the high-tech gondola pitched by Regional Transportation Council (RTC). Swyft Cities, the company behind the new gondola technology, is in search of a test site to set federal certification and regulatory standards. Plano has explored routes spanning eight miles, but the early test site will be smaller, spanning between two and three miles. Texan cities have until April 10 to apply to be considered for the test site. A previous Weekly Roundup (here) explains RTC and the plans that Swyft Cities has for the 21st-century gondola.
Whistler’s Fitzsimmons Express chairlift replacement is underway. The current four-seater chairlift is being deconstructed. A new high-speed quad will replace the old Fitzsimmons Express. The new lift will increase the capacity by 1450 skiers per hour.
An avalanche slid across State Highway 210, leaving skiers stranded. Skiers were ordered to shelter inside permanent structures from noon to 6:30 pm; unfortunately, poor road conditions resulted in vehicles bumper to bumper on the highway. This incident highlighted Utah Department of Transportation’s plan to build the gondola and how much quicker skiers could have made it home. There have been several instances in the winter where a gondola would have been safer, more reliable, and more efficient for people traveling along Little Cottonwood Canyon. See a related Weekly Roundup here.
To increase sustainable energy, Leitner has invented the Intelligent Heat Detector (IHD). IHD enables an automatic regulation of seat heating by detecting the surface of the seat and individually heating occupied seats. This new technology can be implemented into both new and existing installations.

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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.

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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.

The Regional Transportation Council (RTC) for North Texas is looking for congested areas in select cities, hoping to build autonomous gondolas. RTC has requested cities to submit their most congested areas to study and ultimately select the first location for this new technology. The cabins are to be self-propelled, unlike traditional gondolas that are propelled by the haul rope. This application has yet to be built, and it is unknown when construction on the first will begin.

London has unveiled a new transit alternative to the Luton airport: the Luton Dart. The £290 million automated guided people mover takes the 30-minute journey down to 3 minutes, replacing a slow and infrequent shuttle. The Dart, or Direct Air-Rail Transit, carries 170 passengers in its four walkthrough cars. Fare will be £4.90 per adult, half price for children 5-15, and free for children under 5.

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10
Mar

2023

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

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).

If built, the proposed Skyline Swansea cable car would give locals hefty discounts. The project is located in the United Kingdom and would connect Landor Park & Ride to the top of Kilvey Hill. The company behind the project, Skyline Enterprises, has said annual gondola passes for residents would be £40 for adults and £20 for seniors and children. Residents would also get discounts for Skyline activities, experiences, and retail. The low rates for residents are intended to ensure the project is well-loved. Final plans for the project will be submitted in the summer, and if approved, they anticipate opening in 2025.
Doppelmayr has been contracted to build Dominica’s historic cable car project. Once built, the system will be the longest monocable detachable gondola (MDG) in the world at 6.6 kilometers. A study of the $54 million (USD) project by a European company revealed the development would triple the country’s tourism. Current plans are to integrate hospitality and retail facilities at the bottom station and feature a café with a panoramic terrace and viewing platforms at the top.
A secluded hotel in Japan has a new cable car to transport guests. The Gondola Project would classify this system as a funicular because it is running on a rail system, but it is still cable-propelled. The funicular moves guests from the hotel down 170 meters to open-air baths that protrude over the Iya River. A journey in the 17-passenger cabin takes about five minutes.
The Vietnamese attraction to Cam Mountain has reduced the ticket price for the cable car to welcome major holidays. The discount began after the Lunar New Year and will extend until May 1. The number of visitors has increased with the reduced ticket price.
Tororo municipality leaders have asked the Ministry of Tourism to set aside funds for a cable car. The objective is to attract tourists to Tororo Rock. This rock in the Eastern Region of Uganda is unique, and similar rocks can only be found in South Africa and Nigeria.

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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.

Weekly Roundup

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The Gondola Project

Weekly Roundup

Weekly Roundup: Afyonkarahisar’s Dream Nears Reality as Progress Continues on Turkish Cable Car Line

Weekly Roundup: ‘Mexicable 2 – Línea Verde,’ an Exciting New Chapter in Mexico’s Public Transit Story

Weekly Roundup: High-Tech Gondolas On the Horizon for the Lone Star State

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

Weekly Roundup: Discover the Highest Ski Lift in the World

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

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

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