#gondola transportation

Apr 21, 2011
Oddities

Japan’s First Class Bus: The Willer Express

Now this makes sense . . . Japan’s Willer Express is offering plush first class seats that look more like business class pods on an airline. Equipped with wireless internet, reclining seats, LCD screens and blankets this could actually make long-distance bus travel palatable. Of course these are the premium coaches; Willer Express also has...

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Apr 20, 2011
Advocacy Issues, London Cable Car, Vancouver/Burnaby Gondola

Is Gondola Transit Crossing The Rubicon?

Right now, there are two groups looking at urban gondola transit solutions: Developing World cities and Developed World cities. Pretty broad classification, I know, but bear with me. Curiously, in the Developed World the technology gets little attention from the public sector. Typically it’s the private sector that pushes these systems as little more than...

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Apr 19, 2011
Marketing Issues

Lessons From Betamax

In the late 1970’s and early 1980’s Sony and JVC waged a war between their respective Betamax and VHS video cassette formats. Early consensus (my dad included) favoured the Betamax format and its superior image and picture quality. Beta also had the advantage of a two year head start over the VHS format. And yet,...

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Apr 18, 2011
London Cable Car

John Biggs Responds to London Cable Car Questions

  Last week I wrote about London Assembly member John Biggs and his problems with the London Cable Car (Gondola). In that post, I questioned three central assumptions that underlined Mr. Biggs’ concerns. Rather than leave it there, I thought it would be interesting to solicit a response from Mr. Biggs as per those questions....

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Apr 17, 2011
Sunday Statshot

Sunday Statshot with Nick Chu

A quick look at some of the things that make rising gasoline prices work (or not) for public transit: Cost of driving in 2008: 71 cents per mile Cost of driving in 1950: 9 cents per mile Percentage decrease in gasoline purchased as correlated to a 10% increase in gasoline prices between 2001-2006: <1% Percentage decrease...

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Apr 16, 2011
Just For Fun

A Toy Gondola (Aerial Tram?)

Thanks so much to Benjamin for letting me post this image. You can check out his flickr page here or some of his other work at www.levarwest.fr.

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Apr 15, 2011
Lake Tahoe Gondola System, Proposals & Concepts

Guest Post: A Gondola Transit System For Lake Tahoe?

The following is a guest post by Jeff Sparksworthy, the founder of the Lake Tahoe Tram proposal. You can read more about his ideas at www.tahoetram.com. Note: The opinions expressed below are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of The Gondola Project. The greater Truckee / North Tahoe...

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Apr 14, 2011
London Cable Car

London Cable Car: Apparently Not A River Crossing

Yesterday Simon Hayes of Warf.co.uk wrote a piece on the upcoming London Thames Cable Car (Gondola). Work apparently is to start this summer and everything but the legalities have been finalized. A bidder has been named, but will not be announced until all legal agreements have been signed. A spokesman for Transport for London was...

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Apr 13, 2011
Thoughts

Idea Prospecting – Hand Me That Shovel!

In 1897, tens of thousands of people stormed the Klondike in search of gold and riches. Most of the prospectors came back empty handed. Those that didn’t and found their fortune did so after staking dozens of claims, most of which never paid off. That’s the thing about prospecting: 99% of the work is for...

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Apr 12, 2011
Oddities

The Dutch Superbus

Because the Chinese Tunnel Bus™ is so 2010, it’s time to introduce our first best-bet nominee for insane bus-based transit technology of the year: The Dutch Superbus… The Superbus is the brainchild of Netherlands astronaut and Delft University of Technology professor Wubbo Ockels, while the design itself was carried out by Dr. Antonia Terzi, an Italian aerodynamicist...

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