TRANSIT ADVISERS PITCH GONDOLA AS SAFE AND GREEN OPTION FOR CITY

The Edmonton Transit System Advisory Board’s formal report and recommendations are expected to be released publicly on Thursday. Postmedia obtained an advance copy. Here are the highlights:

Gondolas transport people at

■

roughly the same speed as a conventional bus when stops are factored in.

Gondola systems around the world

■

have seen 99 per cent reliability and higher, better than conventional forms of transportation.

Gondolas are one of the most

■

environmentally friendly forms of transportation, using roughly 0.1 kilowatts of electricity per kilometre per passenger. With a wire supported by towers, it would have the smallest footprint in the river valley and generate the least noise.

A prefabricated design means gondola

■ construction is often completed in under 12 months.

Operational costs are a fraction

■

of what LRT and buses cost, making gondola systems revenue positive in many jurisdictions. In contrast, public transport in Edmonton is heavily subsidized.

Gondola cars can be built with

■ smart glass panels that turn opaque when travelling over residential areas to ease privacy concerns.

The city-appointed volunteer board also identified a number of limitations with the technology. Like trains, passengers are limited in the number of places they can get on and off and the route can easily not be changed once built.

A feasibility study would have to carefully analyze historic wind speeds in the river valley. The team’s research suggests gondola systems must stop operating when wind speeds reach 70 to 100 km/h, depending on the design. Gondolas have many fail safe backup mechanisms to ensure all cars can return to a station in the event of an emergency. But should all systems experience failure, “it would be difficult to rescue people from cabins.” They caution “misinformation and public skepticism” will also be a hazard.