Opinion: Gondolas Distract From the Realities of Transit

Gondolas seem to find their way into the public transit investment conversation again and again over the years, taking up space and air that could be devoted to more substantive issues of investment, maintenance, and operation.

1 minute read

April 11, 2017, 10:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell

Gondolas work for Medellín, but they never seem to work out in the United States. | Jess Kraft / Shutterstock

Angie Schmitt collects evidence from around the country to argue that gondola proposals in the United States "have mainly served as a distraction from bigger problems facing urban transit systems."

Exhibit A: Washington, D.C., where Arlington County recently pulled out of a proposed gondola project that would cross the Potomac River. Schmitt links to examples of gondola proposals in Austin and Cleveland as well. To explain why gondola proposals get so much traction in the media, while never getting off the ground, Schmitt has this to say:

Projects like these have a certain appeal to media outlets. They’re new! They’re flashy! But too many cities are wasting too much time and money on gimmicky distractions instead of the meat and potatoes of running a functional transit system.

FULL STORY: Enough With the Gondolamania Already

Monday, April 10, 2017 in Streetsblog USA

Infrastructure Transportation United States District of Columbia Ohio Texas Public Transit Gondolas Urban Gondolas Washington D.C. Austin Cleveland View More

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