Overview of Urban Gondolas: Implications and Opportunities for Implementation in Chinese Cities

摘要

Aerial ropeways have long been used for transporting passengers over topographically challenging terrain. Traditionally used as a shuttle transport device for alpine resorts and recreational areas, Cable Propelled Transit (i.e. aerial ropeways or urban gondolas) is now increasingly utilized for pure mass transit purposes. Given recent innovations within cable transit technology, its performance characteristics are now comparable with conventional transport technologies. Factors such as quick implementation times, small infrastructure footprint, quick average speeds (12-23km/h) and relatively high capacities (up to 6000-8000 pphpd) make it an attractive and viable transit option for many cities. However, there is much confusion and misunderstanding about this technology. As such, the purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of urban gondolas and briefly analyze their capabilities in fulfilling the burgeoning transport needs in China's growing cities.