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Don Valley Gondola (Broadview Stn to Evergreen Brick Works)

44 North said:
Whoa, the site has a lot of info and nice artwork. Looks like this has been planned for quite some time. I personally can't imagine it costing their quoted price, because I believe there'd be extraneous costs (basically burying the transmission line and removing the hydro pylons for that section of valley - which would probably cost +$25M right there). But I definitely think something to connect Brickworks is worth discussing. The City is improving the cycling and path network, but a more direct route for those not wanting to trek is not without merit. This is definitely an interesting proposal...
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This guy has been pushing these projects for quite some time. I really like this version - small simple and filing an undeniable (small) gap. Good for him!

Now, the cynic in me says this is a Trojan horse to get public funding for the commuter line he wants to build from Thorncliffe all the way down to Union. :) But whatever, I hope this gets built, I would ride it for sure.
 
Great stuff!

In the next 10-15 years (right now is too early), I am involved behind the scenes in a Hamilton gondola advocacy, and seeing a Don Valley gondola come to fruition sooner, will be an exciting case study in many ways -- tourism, transit, business case, public perception, etc.

For reference, the Mount Tremblant gondola cost only $7 million to build, and it is much longer at 5km. Even inflation adjusted, the price quote for the Don Valley gondola, assuming a microcapsule type, 20-25M is a realistic ballpark given the much more difficult urban/hydro topography.

I will be paying very close attention to this.
 
ehlow said:
Gondola to islands would be a huge attraction
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Exactly. It would provide more frequent and efficient access to the islands than the ferries, and would be a tourist attraction unto itself. The view alone would make it worth it.

AlvinofDiaspar said:
Route - Exhibition GO Station to Ontario Place to Islands - future extension to Portlands/Villers Island and up to the new GO Station at Sunlight. I think YTZ might cause problems one way or another though.

AoD
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I was actually thinking run it straight from the foot of Yonge St onto Centre Island, maybe even from Union if you can get the clearance. It would need to be lower for the part of it that's in the island airport's flight path, but the harbour is shallow enough that putting footings in every couple hundred metres shouldn't be too much of an issue. You'd need a taller section mid-channel to allow for ships to pass underneath though.

You could then potentially build a 2nd gondola that runs from Hanlan's Point through Centre Island to Cherry Beach. This would in essence make Centre Island the 'transit hub' of the islands.
 
What might be even more interesting (don't know if it's feasible) is if the gondola could run from Playter Gardens along the course of the half mile bridge/rail line, then turn west (just before the bluffs at the north end of the Brickworks), and run along the path of the Beltline Trail southward to the west parking lot at DVBW. This would be a more scenic route (away from the DVP) and would offer excellent views of the Brickworks and Moore Park Ravine. Even a full loop in that direction could be an option and another ride option could be the direct route that is proposed. This would obviously be much more expensive and might not even be possible, but the route that is proposed spans arguably the most altered/degraded part of the Don Valley (with the snow dump site and the various ring roads).
 
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Posters like the one below make me think that this is more than just a simple cable car, rather a well thought out tourist attraction. The idea of being able to have dinner while traveling over the Don in a loop is exciting, and may make the concept more feasible, as it is not just there to transport people. I'd also love to see Presto integrtion for the convenience. Give Metrolinx $0.50 for every trip and I'm sure they would be on board with it.

Night-Postcard-4x6new-1000.jpg
 
Armour said:
What might be even more interesting (don't know if it's feasible) is if the gondola could run from Playter Gardens along the course of the half mile bridge/rail line, then turn west (just before the bluffs at the north end of the Brickworks), and run along the path of the Beltline Trail southward to the west parking lot at DVBW. This would be a more scenic route (away from the DVP) and would offer excellent views of the Brickworks and Moore Park Ravine. Even a full loop in that direction could be an option and another ride option could be the direct route that is proposed. This would obviously be much more expensive and might not even be possible, but the route that is proposed spans arguably the most altered/degraded part of the Don Valley (with the snow dump site and the various ring roads).
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I like the idea of doing something with the half-mile bridge, at least.
 
I wonder how the dinner -- or any meal time -- would work? Would meals be prepared at both sites and taken aboard the gondolas, or would they be served while in the air? Also interesting to note that Trump Tower and L Tower are absent in the skyline art, but BACE 2 is there. The gondola should extend to L Tower's crane, when people are let off to climb down it.

Since Toronto is a city of overhead wires -- and this proposal would see more added to the urban landscape -- I would suggest that the footings resemble our rusted and driftwoodesque utility poles. On a serious note: how about disguising the poles as trees; something like this?:

cell-phone-tower-disguised-as-a-tree-1.jpg


Though fake themselves, these would lessen the artificiality of having utilitarian metal poles incorporated into the valley.
 
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AndreaPalladio said:
(useless monorail dead horse)
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This is a gondola, not a monorail.

Also, gondolas cost less than one-tenth as much as an LRT/subway/monorail, and actually move a great deal of traffic. 8 person capsules, 8 second between, 60 people per minute, 3600 people per hour. Yet, running typically on electric motors of only a few tens kilowatt, are able to break even at only a few hundred people per day. Well designed gondolas can run 95 percent empty offpeak (like offpeak buses) and still make a profit.
 
Agreed. We need to be clear that it's a gondola and not a monorail. Gondolas don't cost all that much to operate. We need more in the Province.

I was thinking today that it would be nice if they really slowed the cars down to have dinner in them lol. The views of the city are great from up there. It would become a major tourist attraction and a cash cow.
 
That's another question(s): how would one eat dinner on the gondolas? Would they stop in mid air? Would one make several trips back and forth, until their meals are done, before exiting at one of the stations?
 
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