An urban planner is floating an unusual solution to Toronto’s transit woes that would transform your commute into an experience you’d expect at the ski slopes.
Designer and planner Steven Dale of
Creative Urban Projects believes cable technology could be the key to cutting costs and moving more people on the ground or above the streets, according to a published report.
Dale says cable cars, similar to gondolas used at ski resorts, or ground-level vehicles like the ones used in San Francisco, are greener, more cost-effective and would carry greater numbers of commuters in less time.
Imagine taking a gondola ride over the DVP, along the 401 during the afternoon rush, or over the bustling downtown core – Dale claims the idea isn’t far-fetched and he refutes the assumption that the cars are slower than our existing transit systems of buses, trains and streetcars.
The urban planner says because gondolas are so light they can move quickly and can carry about 6,000 people per hour per direction.
The cars also run on batteries and some on solar power. Gondolas also wouldn’t mingle with traffic and be affected by delays.
The TTC isn’t on board and claims gondolas wouldn’t save the commission money, considering the cost of construction and maintenance.
But Dale says under-car cable technology, like the trolleys used in San Francisco, would cost about half of the $1.4 billion the TTC is spending to beef up the Scarborough Rapid Transit system. He also says our winter weather wouldn’t be a problem, citing Chicago’s use of that technology in the 1880s when there was a lot more snow.