The Surprising Success of Gondola Transit Systems

Writing by Sam Denby, Tristan Purdy, and Christine Benedetti
Editing by Alexander Williard
Animation by Sara Stoltman, Derek Brown, and Kate Ermolenko
Sound by Manni Simon and Dony Bullen
Thumbnail by Simon Buckmaster

References

[filmlab_uk]

As someone originally from La Paz, Bolivia 🇧🇴 it makes me really happy to see our gondola system being shared with the world like this. Thank you for highlighting something so unique and special about our city!

[TecnoButter]

As a inhabitant of La Paz I am so proud to say that the gondolas are the safest ways to travel wherever in the city, also also yes, a transport system like this is very context-sensitive, I don't see it working on a more "flat" city

[charlieb]

It’s also important to mention just how beautiful the views are and how absolutely quiet it is. Even in the stations they use electric motors so it’s not so loud, but on the carts themselves it’s so peaceful. It’s the total opposite of noisy busses and trains.

[StrangeGamer]

Another benefit of gondola systems is hard to quantify, but can't be denied. People *like* gondolas. They are fun. It's an enjoyable way to go from one place to the other that lets you see the view in a confortable way.

[Chaser]

Visited La Paz last year. While I was riding, a blind person was assisted by station staff to get on at a station, and then another staff member was at their destination station to help them get off. Very cool note on accessibility :)

[nufoman]

The gondola system was one of the best things that happened to La Paz I used it a ton when I still lived there, glad you decided to make a video on it :D

[oyuyuy]

Consistently saving 1 hour of commuting time and never risking traffic jams is massive

[niyanlan]

As soon as you said not all cable car systems have been a success I just knew you would be talking about the UK. It makes me proud to be British 🇬🇧

[jergarmar]

One other benefit of gondolas, besides the niches of low cost and low geographic impact, is that they are feasible to get done POLITICALLY. Even if it doesn't work out perfectly, getting one installed *creates an expectation of public transport*. It leads to better transit systems in the long run.

[mikegroberman]

One point I didn't see mentioned in terms of reliability is how gondola systems can generally continue running normally during power outages, they don't rely on traffic lights and can be run from diesel engines by screwing in 2 bolts by hand and flipping a switch, since ski resorts often lose power for an hour or 2 at a time due to weather swapping between electric and diesel is quick and easy by design.

[Archangelm]

Altitude aside, I love the idea of rapid transit that basically operates continuously rather than having to wait for a train or bus.

[InTeCredo]

I visited La Paz in 2016 and was very much awestruck by the city for many reasons. One of them was gondola system. This allowed me to see the city from the high in a very quiet way. What impressed me the most was that the system is very much barrier-free for the people with mobility disabilities from the start. I am glad that La Paz chose gondola technology as it suits the city the best.

[leonardo.]

That single Quito metro train line is super-convenient due to the shape of the city, though.

[sodapone]

Vancouver's transit authority is currently planning to build a gondola to reach Simon Fraser University on Burnaby Mountain—in fact, using the same 3S technology that the Peak 2 Peak gondola in Whistler uses. It's really cool to see this video analyze the city that made the blueprint on urban gondolas!

[rickrutledge]

Nice!
Less roads needed, constant speed without stops or accidents.
These gondolas can go over buildings and roads.
Simply great!

[GojiMet]

0:44 One note about Quito: As much as I'm a transit fan and love metros, I can't really see Quito expanding beyond 2 or 3 lines; 4 would really be stretching it. Extenstions of Line 1 to the north and south are more likely. That is because unlike La Paz or Bogota, Quito is very narrow and its growth has basically been north-south (similar to Medellin which basically has one long north-south metro and a small branch), and it can be really hard to penetrate the mountains. At that point, you would be better off with more BRT lines, buses, or new gondola lines (again, like Medellin).

[allanfrd]

Another benefit is that your levels of stress should go down significantly, you don't have to deal with the chaotic peak hours, fighting against other cars or other people to reach your destination. And the view is just amazing.

[JoeJaJoeJoe]

I'm surprised that Colombian cable car systems weren't discussed in more detail. Medellin's cable cars are famous, but many smaller cities in the Colombian Andes have a cable car system as well. Cities like Manizales or Pereira have large cable car systems given their size, and Colombia frequently chooses cable cars when considering new transit development.

[cdsteig]

Clips of Portland's Aerial Tram were shown, which connects the OHSU Campus on Marquam Hill with the Waterfront Campus on the South Waterfront. It's used by the hospital and university staff, and also as an access point when snow and ice shuts down the roads to Marquam Hill.

[twixieshores]

This is a much fairer take than Adam Something's on Latin American gondolas, which boiled down to "build a train and if the geography is bad, then people shouldn't live there"