Want to rise above traffic? Cable cars could be the answer, some transit experts say | CBC Radio

What if your daily commute didn’t mean enduring bumper-to-bumper traffic but soaring above it instead? 

It sounds like wishful thinking, but in parts of the world, cable cars or gondolas — typically seen at ski resorts or tourist spots — are actually used as public transit, helping people get around in their day-to-day life. 

For example, Bogotá, Colombia, relies on the TransMiCable to transport people daily. In Oregon, the Portland Aerial Tram averages 9,000 rides each weekday, while Mi Teléferico in La Paz, Bolivia, has a capacity of as many as 34,000 passengers per hour in each direction. 

As Canadian cities grapple with “brutal” congestion and spotty transit service, some transportation planners believe cable cars could offer this country an affordable and efficient fix.

“It’s not very expensive to operate,” Reece Martin, a Toronto-based independent transportation planner, told Day 6 host Brent Bambury. “And frankly, they’re not very expensive to build, either.” 

“You install some poles, you string some cable and then it’s good to go,” Martin said. “It’s a lot faster to build than some of the transit projects we might be familiar with.”

Jonathan English, a transportation policy consultant with the Toronto Region Board of Trade, agrees. He says cable cars are “in theory … potentially significantly cheaper than building an elevated train.”

For commuters, says Martin, it means no stoplights, no traffic jams. Just climb in, glide over the bustle and arrive calm and stress-free. 

A cable car on the horizon

In Burnaby, B.C., a gondola commute is on the brink of becoming reality. 

Councillor Daniel Tetrault, vice-chair of the city’s transportation committee, says the Burnaby Mountain Gondola is “ready to go.”

The new aerial link would hook up a SkyTrain station with the top of Burnaby Mountain, home to Simon Fraser University’s main campus and a growing community of roughly 7,000 residents. The ride would support about 25,000 trips every weekday. 

“I’m a former SFU student,” Tetrault said. “I remember anytime it’s snowing or the weather’s iffy, the bus service was unreliable … [a gondola is] an important opportunity that really could connect the university and the rest of Burnaby and the region.”  

Beyond convenience, the environmental impact is huge, says Tetrault. According to TransLink, Metro Vancouver’s public transit authority and a proponent of the project, a gondola runs on electricity and a single trip would emit just five grams of carbon dioxide per passenger — a sharp contrast to the roughly 400 grams produced by a diesel bus.

Environmental assessments, community consultations, infrastructure design and route selection are complete but Tetrault says the project is currently at a standstill, awaiting funding from the provincial and federal governments. For it to move forward, he adds, it must be recognized as a priority and included in an investment plan approved by the TransLink board and the Mayors’ Council on Regional Transportation. 

TransLink confirmed in a statement to the CBC that the Burnaby Mountain Gondola is part of its Ten-Year Access for Everyone plan but remains unfunded. 

“The next step for the project is to complete the business case and acquire funding through a future Investment Plan update,” the statement said. 

Can it help with congestion? 

While gondolas are ideal for steep terrain like Burnaby Mountain, English says they could also “potentially” help untangle congestion in busy city centres.

WATCH | Ways to tackle Toronto’s traffic gridlock: 

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Part 2 of CBC Toronto’s three-part series, Gridlocked: The Way Out, explains why congestion is so bad in Toronto and how experts say implementing a combination of several solutions in tandem could make things better.

He sees gondolas as a potential solution in parts of Toronto that have rapid residential growth but “slow, crowded or unreliable” transit access.

“When people move into their condo and there’s very limited transit, they’re going to buy that parking space and then they’re going to buy that car,” said English. “That’s going to contribute to gridlock in the [downtown] core.”  

He points to Humber Bay Shores, a high-density Toronto neighbourhood with heavy traffic and limited transit options — “a long, slow streetcar and a couple of buses.” English says areas like this could benefit from gondolas as feeder lines, helping riders reach major transit options like subways and GO Transit more easily. 

Just east of Toronto, in Oshawa, Ont., a proposed Aerial Cable Car Transit line would run along Simcoe Street. Following a review, regional staff recommended the cable car over traditional buses, citing advantages such as greater speed and reliability. 

As well, Simcoe Street’s narrow roadway and densely packed buildings make expanding traditional bus service challenging. Adding a new bus route could mean reducing parking spaces, eliminating traffic lanes and expropriating private property. 

Challenging perceptions 

English is realistic, saying there’s no “silver bullet” to fix congestion. He says gondolas work well in some situations but not everywhere. Still, he calls them “one tool in the toolbox” and says having more options is always better. 

Martin believes the biggest barrier to adopting gondolas as public transit is people’s perception of them. 

“It’s really an issue of just kind of getting one built,” said Martin. “So that you have an example to point to and say, ‘Hey, they did it over there and it’s very successful and it was a good investment.'”

“I think that’ll make it a lot easier to build them across the country where they make sense.”