#Funitel

Oct 01, 2012
This Week's Tweaks

This Week’s Tweak — Funitel

In an effort to continually improve and expand the offerings on The Gondola Project, each week we’re rolling out a “tweak” to the site. If there’s a part of the website you’d like to see “tweaked” send us an email at gondola (at) creativeurbanprojects (dot) com.   The tech update series continues this week with...

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Jun 11, 2012
Brest Téléphérique / Gondola, Funitel, Pulsed

New Urban Gondola in Brest, France by 2015 (The Brest Téléphérique)

The small Breton city of Brest, France will enter the small club of cities around the world with an urban gondola system to call their own. Back in December of 2011, the topographically-challenged city of 140,000 inhabitants approved plans to proceed with a short gondola system spanning the city’s harbour and Penfeld River. The system...

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May 31, 2011
Technologies

Urban Gondola Transit as Minivan?

Advancements in 3S and MDG technology have largely eliminated the need for Funitel and BDG technologies. If you’re considering a Funitel, you might as well go with a 3S. The 3S is faster, with higher potential capacity and reasonably similar capital costs. A 3S also doesn’t incur the high energy consumption cost that’s typical of...

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Mar 19, 2010
Funitel

Aerial Technologies, Lesson 4: Funitel

My absolute, all-time favorite aerial cable technology is a little-known configuration called The Funitel. The technology was originally created by Lift Engineering, Inc. an American company (that mercifully no longer exists) with one of the worst safety records in the industry. While the concept behind the Funitel was ingenious, the engineering wasn’t. It wasn’t until...

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Nov 29, 2009
Analysis, Funitel, Volkswagen Funitel

Cables As Ferries?

One great advantage of ferry technology is that it can carry not only people, but cars too.  The great problem with ferries, however, is the time and money involved in using them. Look at the Washington State Ferry Service, for example.  Here’s a ridiculously expensive transportation option that offers the convenience of required reservations and...

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