I wonder if it was the potential for swaying (you can see some of that in the film), safety fears of hanging in a car like that (I still dont really like ski lift like things) and difficulty in mainatence.
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It still in use today
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Having ridden it, I don’t think it would meet our current accessibility laws. It tilts a lot, including at stations as people are boarding.
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Look up the Chiba Urban Monorail if you want to see what a modern implementation of a Schwebebahn would look like.
It works, and Japanese transit is nothing if not safe and efficient, but the infrastructure is somehow much heavier and less whimsical and appealing.
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Holy concrete batman! Also, this looks very sinister to me.
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Probably because it needs to avoid swaying and be earthquake-proofed. After all, the world of Japanese infrastructure design is vertically integrated so that it makes practical considerations (like making the most of limited space, or staying safe during natural disasters) a much bigger priority than anything else.
Maybe suspended monorails looked cool and steampunk-y in the turn of the 20th century as @softfurrykitty showed us, back when we didn’t care as much about accessibility, safety, or acceptance by local communities. But since then, we’ve learned that monorails are fundamentally harder and costlier to build; I don’t think it makes sense anymore in this day and age. Besides, even though they can allow for tighter turns and more flexibility in right-of-ways, it’s hard to imagine they’re cost-effective when two of the few other examples of Japanese suspended monorails (1, 2) are closing due to high maintenance costs, and manufacturers no longer sells them in the first place.
At that point, I think gondolas would be a better way to augment our future BRT lines as long as you get the business case right.
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Gondolas are a very interesting mass transit solution. I was in La Paz a few years ago and their complex gondola metro system was incredible. The cars were huge, the views breathtaking, the ride quick and efficient. I loved it. I wonder if it is optimized for mountains?
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Yes, because that was their only practical application until recently.
Ski resorts don’t have to deal with the same demand for speed and passenger counts (read: weight, therefore maintenance needs) as urban transit networks. That’s because traditional gondola systems only use two cars (or two clusters of cars) that shuttle back and forth between two stations at speeds close to your average buses. But if you’re using gondolas (or aerial trams, which are similar but separate things), it’s not worth it unless you can create more complex systems where multiple stations can be served by more than two cars -an innovation that hasn’t been made possible until recently.
Plus, there’s some real engineering challenges that remain. There’s concerns about residents privacy (Brest just came out with a viable solution in 2016 but it’s not yet the norm), as well as how to maintain a system without having to stop every single car every time something needs a repair. This is especially important because gondolas’ motors are in towers and stations, not on each individual car; unlike a broken bus, a faulty gondola motor inherently disrupts an entire line.
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I really enjoyed Medellins public transportation system which are a well interconnected network of metro, metro cable, and bus lines.
The cable was extremely efficient small gondolas that got you to the hillier areas of the city. Interestingly, the city also has many public outdoor escalator systems to help get you around too.
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Love the photos @Brandonq . I remember the teleferico in Medellin that went up to a popular tourist spot and I also remember the amazing metro. I was there in college and so I didn’t put together the entire system. Glad you shared this!
The outdoor escalator system is also pretty amazing when you think about it.
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WTVIPBSCLT’s IndyGo BRT in comparison to Charlotte light rail that may reflect on Raleigh/Wake’s service. Indy will have all electric buses, we don’t :(.
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Electric or not, this will be an effective means to reduce emissions if it gets folks out of their cars 
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I like that we have a variety of sustainable buses, waste-powered and electric and minimal? diesel powered buses, which are being phased out. Seems more economically feasible.
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Those buses have been a unmitigated disaster for IndyGo. It didn’t help that they ordered a brand new model from a manufacturer who has had issues.
And Indiana has banned light rail like a statewide one, they have no choice but we do I was listening to Urban Connector if there another transit bond, expand the commuter rail to Wake Forest, and Fayetteville (which is already in the works), and trams in Raleigh.
Well I will support a fully grade-separated, fully automated rail-based metro line like the Vancouver Skyway or Singapore metro. Just got to pick the perfect route. I think once we have a few BRT routes going we can push for at least a plan in place.
If anything like Charlotte’s light rail or any of LA’s above grown routes it would suck. They’re slow and useless.
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Houston is planning BRT lines they can be converted to light rail or tram in the future.
My crystal ball says New Bern Ave will be the same old New Bern Ave 10 years from now with just a bus and some extra pedestrian lanes. Would be interested whom in this forum would ride this particular line.
Enlighten me. There is no traffic on this street. Excuse for gentrification?
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I honestly completely agree. I also think this was the stupidest spot to debut BRT, which is already a poor man’s light rail. It’s gonna be a speedy bus filled with people most people wouldn’t want to hang out with, going from places no one wants to be to places no one wants to be. Smarter option would’ve been to put it on Hillsborough St, Capital, or through downtown. But that ship has sailed. I have no belief whatsoever that this will do anything for New Bern Ave. The only thing that can save it is gentrification, but that’s been very piecemeal so far.
I’m aware none of what I just wrote is gonna make me popular, but I think it’s the hard truth.
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I understand the cynicism and this project has taken way too damn long to get started but I promise it will be transformational for New Bern. Some of the “concerns” you cited won’t be there much longer. The houses are already coming in massive waves.
The retail/commercial section is next including 1601 New Bern which will kick off the “cleanup”. The loiterers won’t be around in 18 months….
This house is 2 blocks off New Bern:
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