Improvements and Innovations in Aerial Ropeway Transportation Technologies: Observations from Recent Implementations

Abstract

Real-world applications of conventional public transport technologies in urban areas might not always be feasible due to several factors that are not necessarily attributed to passenger demand, such as the very high capital and operating cost of these systems, the limited availability of real estate to expand/create new systems, and the presence of geographical and topographical barriers (e.g., mountains, valleys, and bodies of water). In such cases, unconventional public transportation technologies have found notable success in recent years in many urban areas around the world. Aerial ropeway transit (ART) technology, which is a type of aerial transportation mode in which passengers are transported in cabins that are suspended and pulled by cables, is a popular example of these technologies. The recent introduction of this technology into the urban environment, in addition to the vendors’ continuous trials to improve upon existing aerial ropeway technologies, has led to several recent advancements and improvements to the technology as illustrated by several recent implementations around the world. This article sheds some light on some of the most recent improvements in the technology specifications as well as the operation and safety considerations of ART as observed from several case studies around the world.