Mexico City is considering a novel transit idea: two-person gondolas gliding along an aerial track. The costs of such a system may be far lower than extending the subway system.
Despite very high transit ridership, Mexico City's streets are still clogged. In response, "the city's science, technology and innovation department, known as Seciti, on Nov. 26 unveiled a prototype of an aerial transportation system that would float over the sea of cars, potholes and street protests that regularly disrupt life in the enormous metropolis."
"The solution is a kind of elevated monorail, with gondolas that run on a horizontal track, and it could really help unload the city's crowded streets, officials say. A 5km (3 mile) line could move 37 million people a year—and up to 200 million if it were extended another 10 km. For perspective, the busiest subway line transports around 290 million passengers a year." And it's not a cable car system; individual gondolas will propel themselves.
While it's still just an idea, the upside is low costs: "officials estimate the price tag for a kilometer of line would be between $9 million and $19 million, compared with $190 million for a kilometer of subway."
FULL STORY: Mexico City hopes floating gondolas will beat its appalling traffic
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Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
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