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Ropeways and Their Adaptability in Latin American Cities

By Konstantinos Panagiotou - Doppelmayr Mexico
CEO

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By Konstantinos Panagiotou | CEO - Thu, 02/16/2023 - 15:00

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The most recent projects developed by Doppelmayr are Lines 1 and 3 of the Cablebus in Mexico City. The latter is in the development phase and will be completed this year, which will represent an advantage not only in terms of mobility, but will also become an important tourist attraction.  

In the case of La Paz, Bolivia, we have built 10 lines, making this system the largest urban cable car network in the world. The first line was inaugurated at the end of May 2014 and has surpassed the 1 million-passenger mark, which is equivalent to a daily average of 36,000 individual trips. 

In addition, we were responsible for the development and construction of a cable car in the capital of Colombia, which was integrated into the Bogota transportation network and connects the Ciudad Bolivar neighborhood, located in the south of the city, to the Transmilenio public bus network. 

In general terms, cable cars have been useful in benefiting populations living in low-income areas, improving their urban conditions, and enabling them to move around more safely and quickly, providing them with access to job opportunities and other drivers of growth. 

The relatively low cost of construction has motivated other emerging economies to choose to implement cable car systems and incorporate them into their urban transportation network, not only because they generate indirect benefits, such as the improvement of public spaces, but also because they take up less space, unlike other systems, such as the Metro or Metrobus; however, it is important to consider various aspects to make it not only feasible, but also viable in economic terms.

According to the study Urban Cable Cars as Public Transportation Systems: Case Studies, Technical Specifications and Business Models, prepared by the World Bank, the success of these projects depends on the choice of the business model to be used, both for construction and operation. 

One of the most commonly used schemes  contemplates bidding the execution of the work, with state operation and maintenance; the other has to do with the creation of public-private partnerships (PPP), in which the construction concession, operation and maintenance of the service are the charge of a private party, while in the traditional contracting of public works, the governmental administration can either manage the work itself or choose to work with a private entity.

The World Bank's document emphasizes that in order to implement a specific project, it is necessary to identify various models used internationally and take these experiences to study viable options as well as to select a model that satisfies the criteria of cost, value for money, risk allocation, speed of implementation and quality of service.

It is also important to evaluate schemes that allow control over the construction of the project and that generate long-term benefits for the population, especially because cable cars not only have an advantage as a means of transportation, but also become a tourist attraction for the cities where they are installed. 

The organization considers that there are other variables that must be taken into account to see if these types of urban projects are viable for all Latin American cities, among them the implementation time, considering that they are faster than building a highway or a road section with tunnels.

Coverage and the number of people it will benefit are also important, especially in areas lacking quality transportation and that are poorly connected to other systems. With respect to capacity and accessibility, these depend to a large extent on the location and design of the stations. 

We also cannot forget factors such as operation and maintenance, since knowing their costs will be fundamental for the financial sustainability of these projects, but above all we must keep in mind user satisfaction, since aspects such as comfort, safety and adaptability should not be neglected, especially because a ropeway system designed around its environment can improve the quality of the urban space around the stations. 

Today, ropeways are more than just a tourist attraction or a means of transportation for skiers, as they can also help close gaps in the public transportation network and connect outlying communities to city centers.
Although these systems offer an innovative solution that could help many people to improve their accessibility to jobs and have better opportunities, safely and at a low cost, in addition to being an environmentally friendly alternative, since they use electricity and do not generate emissions. Thus, people who ride these ropeways not only contribute to the reduction of the environmental footprint, but they can also travel long distances while enjoying majestic views.

Photo by:   Konstantinos Panagiotou

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