News   May 03, 2024
Assembly's Blueprint for Sustainable Urban Living in the GTHA
 611     0 
News   May 03, 2024
RAD's State of the Market 2024 to Feature Talks on AI and Real Estate
 385     0 
News   May 03, 2024
Congratulations to our Avontuura Guides Winners!
 213     0 

Gondolas as Urban Transit

If we’re talking gadgetbahns I have to agree that Hamilton is particularly well suited. It’s struck me more than once that a James St tunnel is one of the very few places I can see a very nice case for a curb guided busway. Almost a shame the ICTS project didn’t give way to a mountain trolley bus network funnelled into a guided busway tunnel.

That said, I’d suggest also looking at RMtransits take on the negatives; the limitations on conventional rail are really not nearly as severe, or important as the gadget peddlers like to assert. Given a free hand in Hamilton I think I’d revive a light metro for the mountain with a diversion west for Mohawk College (rather than the straight shot up James ICTS planned), build out the LRT as planned with extensions at both ends and add local GO stations.
 
Last edited:
Sunnyside said:
I feel there are a small handful of locations where gondolas work, but only for scaling steep grades- connecting Exhibition to Ontario Place could be done with something else that has higher capacity. It isn’t meant to be a tourist attraction after all…
Click to expand...

I always wanted Canada's Wonderland to expand into that land they owned on the north side of Major Mac, and connect to it with a giant roller coaster loop that had a north and a south station. Instead they built a hospital; but I can still close my eyes and dream...
 
ARG1 said:
Are you saying Gondolas are bad because a maniac wearing a goblin suit on a hovercraft can use it to grab hostages at any time?
Click to expand...

Yes. Yes I am. Every nimby has their "But what if?" scenario, this one is mine.

<Alternate reply>

Either a goblin-suited maniac on a hover wing, or this:

richard-kiel-james-bonds-iconic-villain-jaws-dies_q4y3.1280.jpg
 
Last edited:
robmausser said:
Im sorry but, just extend the subway elevated above ground along Jane. Would be way better.
Click to expand...
Honestly I can absolutely see the case for something independent sized like a peoplemover or light metro, but yeah, cable hauled is really to no ones benefit here. At the end of the day the focus on cables suggests to me that the dopplemayer sales team is out in full force.

on the other hand, elevating above the 400 could make a full subway extension actually viable…
 
Bureaucromancer said:
Honestly I can absolutely see the case for something independent sized like a peoplemover or light metro, but yeah, cable hauled is really to no ones benefit here. At the end of the day the focus on cables suggests to me that the dopplemayer sales team is out in full force.
Click to expand...

You can argue that it has a minimal construction impact, only the stations and pylons need to disturb any ground. It's probably the easiest to build of all options beyond a basic bus route.

Towered said:
Well played, sir - only forumers over a certain age will get and appreciate that reference ;)
Click to expand...

Lol, I could say the same thing about your avatar (which I love by the way Mr. Van.)
 
Bureaucromancer said:
Honestly I can absolutely see the case for something independent sized like a peoplemover or light metro, but yeah, cable hauled is really to no ones benefit here. At the end of the day the focus on cables suggests to me that the dopplemayer sales team is out in full force.

on the other hand, elevating above the 400 could make a full subway extension actually viable…
Click to expand...
Agreed on the first part, as the benefits of cable-stayed (ability to transverse difficult terrain cheaply) don't apply here with the flat shot up to Wonderland.

That being said, I don't see any viability for subway-level service here, a BRT shuttle service either up Jane or utilising Highway 400 would be a better use of resources.
 
jje1000 said:
Agreed on the first part, as the benefits of cable-stayed (ability to transverse difficult terrain cheaply) don't apply here with the flat shot up to Wonderland.

That being said, I don't see any viability for subway-level service here, a BRT shuttle service either up Jane or utilising Highway 400 would be a better use of resources.
Click to expand...
I definitely don’t like putting BRT on the highway, Jane actually does have potential to urbanize reasonably nicely and that should be encouraged. BRT on Jane though is basically just VIVA Silver, and frankly yes, that should have happened years ago. Full rapid transit would, imo, be nice, and I’ll always put in a word for full grade separation and automation, but I absolutely conceed that York would do much better building less and substantially improving frequency.
 
Last edited:
jje1000 said:
Agreed on the first part, as the benefits of cable-stayed (ability to transverse difficult terrain cheaply) don't apply here with the flat shot up to Wonderland.

That being said, I don't see any viability for subway-level service here, a BRT shuttle service either up Jane or utilising Highway 400 would be a better use of resources.
Click to expand...
Major Mack to VMC definitely has enough things going on to potentially support a subway level service (although hopefully not deep bored), and especially more in terms of urban growth, there's Wonderland, Vaughan Mills, VMC, Mackenzie West Hospital, etc. Of course its a matter of when (hopefully not too soon).
 
ARG1 said:
Major Mack to VMC definitely has enough things going on to potentially support a subway level service (although hopefully not deep bored), and especially more in terms of urban growth, there's Wonderland, Vaughan Mills, VMC, Mackenzie West Hospital, etc. Of course its a matter of when (hopefully not too soon).
Click to expand...
It doesn’t, no. Even VMC doesn’t really have it, we just never got ridership projections for the station.

York Region isn’t even running express bus service on the corridor right now and existing YRT services while not completely awful aren’t exactly stellar either.

I get the Gondala here a bit, it provides a high frequency service for a mid-level demand corridor which has large stop spacing. It fits the Gondola model relatively closely, even if Gondolas are rather untraditional.
 
You must log in or register to post here.

Back
Top