A gondola network that flies at 30 miles per hour could be a solution to New York City’s broken subway system

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• A designer has created a plan for a gondola system that could address many of New York City’s transportation woes.
• The system, he said, would be cheaper, faster to install, and more energy efficient than building new subway lines.
• It might also be a way to transport residents during a climate-related disaster such as a hurricane or flood.
• Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.

New York City is in the midst of a transportation crisis. Its Hudson River tunnels, which carry the Amtrak and New Jersey Transit rail lines, were badly damaged during Hurricane Sandy, and its highways are so crowded that commuters lose $87 billion worth of time a year due to traffic congestion. 

The subway system is also heavily weighted to Manhattan, with limited service in the South Bronx, southeast Brooklyn, and eastern Queens. In Staten Island, there’s no subway service at all, leading many to dub the area New York City’s "forgotten borough."

Read more: New Yorkers are freaking out that a plan to shut down an entire subway line has been canceled. Here’s why it was a disaster from the start.

Eugene Flotteron, a principal at the architecture firm CentraRuddy, was born and raised in Staten Island. He sees untapped potential in his hometown, which has more land mass than the Bronx or Queens and the highest median income of all five boroughs. 

"It’s like a perfect storm for development," said Flotteron. "But its biggest problem is transportation."

In 2018, Flotteron took matters into his own hands by designing the first piece of mass transit that would run through Staten Island into the remaining four boroughs. Rather than trying to wade through the red tape of building additional rail lines, Flotteron and Swiss transportation engineer Arndt Batzner designed a gondola system that would fly through the air at a speed of up to 30 miles per hour. 

The system, he said, isn’t just a plan to revitalize a forgotten borough. It’s also a way to transport residents if another hurricane or flood toppled the city’s underground transit.

Take a look at his grand vision for the future of New York City transportation. 

The idea of an urban gondola system isn’t new, but it could be tough to pull off in a major city like New York.

Arndt Baetzner/Eugene Flotteron/CetraRuddy

Most urban gondolas have limited capacity, with many of them serving as tourist amenities rather than reliable transportation networks. One exception is the rapidly expanding cable car system in Laz Paz, Bolivia, which could ultimately stretch up to 21 miles. As of May 2017, the system carried more than 190,000 daily passengers. 

If New York City were to reach this goal, it would be enough to transport the 160,000 Staten Island residents who take mass transit to work each day. But expanding this capacity to serve the city’s millions of commuters is a much bigger challenge.

Flotteron’s current proposal calls for the gondola system to carry "up to 5,000 passengers per hour and direction." Each gondola would have enough room for 35 residents and depart every 15 to 20 seconds during peak hours. Flotteron said the system would serve both tourists and locals. 

 

The initial plan includes service from Staten Island to Manhattan, but could eventually connect all five boroughs.

Arndt Baetzner/Eugene Flotteron/CetraRuddy

In the past, Flotteron said, his developments tended to "follow the train lines stop by stop." He now believes that the city has reached "a tipping point where transportation can’t keep up with demand."

Instead of building developments where there is already a transit line, Flotteron said, a gondola system could "open up development" in deserted areas.

The New York City Economic Development Corporation is supportive of the idea, but residents will have to get on board first.

Arndt Baetzner/Eugene Flotteron/CetraRuddy

Flotteron said he’s spoken with the economic development corporations for both Staten Island and New York City. The NYCEDC, he said, felt that residents would need to ask for a gondola before they could consider the plan.

One of the barriers to educating residents, Flotteron said, is that many people associate gondolas with ski lifts and assume they’re unstable. Others may call to mind the Roosevelt Island Tramway, which only serves up to 6,500 passengers a day.

Flotteron said residents should think of his plan as a series of "air buses" that constantly loop back around. Fares would also be comparable to the current bus system, which is $5.50 round-trip or $13 a day for an express bus.  

 

Read more: One of New York City’s most affordable tourist experiences is a tram that takes you 250 feet above the city for the price of a subway fare

 

See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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Source: Business Insider – feedback@businessinsider.com (Aria Bendix)