Posts Tagged: Emirates AirLine

05
Oct

2012

Weekly Roundup: A Cable Car In Groningen?

The Original Flyover Groningen Logo.

A quick look at some of the things that happened this week in the world of cable cars, urban gondolas, and cable propelled transit:

  • The Jericho Cable Car is – apparently – the longest cable car in the world operating below sea level. It’s profiled at Al Arabiya.


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07
Sep

2012

Weekly Roundup: Grand Canyon Escalade (Gondola) Goes to Feasibility

Artists' Rendering of a Proposed Grand Canyon Gondola. Image via Adventure Journal.

A quick look at some of the things that happened this week in the world of cable cars, urban gondolas, and cable propelled transit:

  • Here’s one that’s sure to be controversial and bogged down in legal challenges for eternity: The Navajo Nation and Phoenix-based developers have agreed to launch a feasibility study into developing a gondola in the Grand Canyon’s East Rim. Of course the project, to be named The Grand Canyon Escalade, t is fraught with opponents who have challenged it from “environmental, historical, spiritual and aesthetic reasons.” In other words: Don’t hold your breath for this one.
  • The London Thames Cable Car / Emirates AirLine surpasses the 1,000,000 rider mark since opening in late June. It will be interesting to see how ridership holds up after the end of the Paralympic Games, but according to the Wharf, the system is boasting an impressive 20,000 riders per day (so maybe we’re wrong).
  • After a reader suggests using a gondola as a transit connection to the University of California, Santa Cruz campus, local blogger Romana Turner points out that Santa Cruz County’s Regional Transportation Commission had explored the possibility as far back as 1993. Apparently of the options explored a “cog rail option was found to provide the highest level of projected ridership and best cost effectiveness score.” This seems more than a little odd given the cost of cog rail technology. For anyone interested in digging a little deeper, apparently there are studies here and here that can illuminate this a bit more.


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18
Jul

2012

London Cable Car to be Fully Integrated? Let’s Hope So.

So apparently a few people agree with us . . .

As we stated a while back, the London Thames Cable Car (Emirates AirLine) is a fine enough addition to the London skyline, but serves little to no public transit purpose as the system isn’t fully fare integrated into the overall London transport network.

This renders the system little more than a novelty for tourists – which is fine. Except that given the price point and the number of tourists London experiences per year this system is sure to make money. Which, in turn, raises the question why London commuters should have to pay to use the system at all – especially given the fact that local public dollars were used to finance it.

These issues are at the core of a recent motion passed by the London Assembly. The motion, agreed to by a majority of Assembly Members, essentially asks the Mayor of London to study and reconsider fully integrating the system into London’s transport network.

That would be a huge win both for the cable transit industry and Londoners in general.

Here’s the content of the entire motion:

“The Assembly welcomes the cable car river crossing, but regrets that some £25 million worth of public money has been spent on it being built when the Mayor had promised that it would be fully funded from the private sector.

This Assembly regrets that travel on the cable car will not be covered by travel cards, the Freedom Pass or the Oyster cap. It considers that the Mayor has missed an opportunity to integrate fully the cable car into the public transport ticketing system.

The Assembly requests the Mayor under section 60(1) of the Greater London Authority Act to:

  • Reconsider the exclusion of cable car journeys from the normal ticketing arrangements when he makes his 2013 fares decision;
  • Report to the Assembly, well in advance of his 2013 fares decision, on the cost of including cable car journeys in travel cards, the Freedom Pass and Oyster cap;
  • Consult with boroughs on how cable car travel could be included in the Freedom Pass.”

Obviously we’ll be paying close attention to this one.



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04
Jul

2012

What Can The San Francisco Cable Cars Teach London?

 

Image via Wikipedia.

If nothing else, the London Cable Car raises an interesting question:

When should a transit line be fully fare-integrated into a transit network and when should it not. For those unfamiliar, an additional fare is required for people to ride the London Cable Car despite it, ostensibly, being a part of the overall Transport for London network.

But should that be the case?

We have no shortage of examples of transit systems who operate on a similar model:

In Toronto, to access the islands, a ride on the ferries cost an additional fee above and beyond a standard transit ticket.

In Portland, a ride on the Aerial Tram costs an additional fare – with the exception of students and staff of OHSU. OHSU is the primary beneficiary of the Aerial Tram and riders affiliated with the operation ride for free.

In Medellin, Linea L services a nature preserve and requires an additional fee beyond a standard transit ticket.

Users of Vancouver’s Skytrain must pay an additional fare if they wish to use it to travel into the city from Vancouver International Airport.

Seattle’s extensive network of ferries all require separate fees despite being an integral component of transport in the region.

So what’s the difference? Why do people not have issues with the examples above but do with the London Cable Car?

The difference, I suspect, is mostly about the target market. The above examples largely service: a) a small subsection of a local population or b) a large local population who is likely to use the service very irregularly.

The system the London Cable Car represents most closely, coincidentally enough, is the San Francisco Cable Car. Both systems operate in central, rather than peripheral areas. They both feel as though they should be intertwined into their respective networks. Furthermore, the San Francisco Cable Cars are priced outside the normal San Francisco transit fare. Prices are five bucks for a one-way trip or thirteen bucks for a day pass.

Like the London Cable Car, those prices are well outside the budget of any standard commuter.

Interestingly though, the San Francisco Cable Car is used by regular commuters – they just don’t pay for it.

In 2007 auditors found that 40% of riders on the system were not paying fares. Now there’s no way to confirm whether it’s locals or tourists who are breaking the law, but assuming it’s locals is not an unreasonable assumption as those are the people who are most likely to understand how to catch free ride successfully.

People such as Jarrett Walker have argued in the past that the San Francisco Cable Cars add little to no value to San Francisco’s transit network, but stats like this suggest otherwise. From my understanding, it’s very common practice for locals to hop-on and hop-off the cars for quick trips around town without paying fares – and for the fare collectors to turn a blind eye to it.

Which in turn implies that the high fares paid by tourists help to subsidize the system for local commuters. It may be illegal, but it’s an interesting reality.

Now in no way, shape, form or description am I suggesting that fare evasion is right and justified. But I don’t think you’re going to find many San Franciscans who have a problem with it. In reality, it’s little different than the Swiss practice of selling ID cards to locals that grant them 50% off all transit in the country. The only difference is the degree of formality.

Londoners won’t be hopping on and off the Thames Cable Car any time soon, but San Francisco does provide an interesting lesson. If Londoners were allowed “free ride” on the backs of tourist fares, I suspect few people – if anyone – would’ve objected to the system.

In fact, were that the case, locals might even come to love it.



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22
Jun

2012

Weekly Roundup: More from England’s Urban Cable Car Aspirations

A quick look at some of the things that happened this week in the world of cable cars, urban gondolas and cable propelled transit:

  • London blogger Diamond Geezer has an excellent analysis of the Emirates AirLine, it’s speed, and prices. It’s a pretty interesting read though I’m not entirely sure that repeatedly calling the system the “Arabfly Dangleway” is either fair or appropriate. Note: you have to scroll down to his June 19th post.


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15
Jun

2012

Weekly Roundup: Cable Car Transit in Indonesia?

Gulangyu Island - the world's shortest ropeway is set for demolition.

A quick look at some of the things that happened this week in the world of cable cars, urban gondolas and cable propelled transit:

  • At only 202 meters long, Gulangyu Island’s urban ropeway system is said to be the shortest in the world. Built without approval in 1995, the system is being dismantled in preparation for the Chinese Island’s upcoming UNESCO World Cultural Heritage designation.
  • An eco-tourism consortium plans to conduct a pre-feasibility study for a cable car link to Machu Picchu’s ‘sister site,’ Choquequirao. Rightly or wrongly, I think we all know the controversy this one’s going to cause.


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18
May

2012

Weekly Roundup: Monkey Rides Cable Car (Seriously)

How long until someone decides to use this as evidence that cable is bad for the environment? Image via Vox.

A quick look at some of the highlights from around the world of Urban Gondolas, Gondola Transit, and Cable Propelled Transit:

  • Here’s something I never – and I mean never – thought I’d be obligated to include in a Weekly Roundup: A Gibraltar area ape took a harrowing cable car ride and found himself stranded onto a service cable running between the cars.


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