SFU/Burnaby Mtn Gondola | Proposed - Page 8

officedweller · #**141** Posted **Sep 22, 2010, 5:25 PM**

Thanks for posting!

crazyjoeda · #**142** Posted **Sep 22, 2010, 6:33 PM**

That is great news! It makes sense because the cost of building and operating a gondola are probably similar to providing frequent high-capacity bus service only more efficient and effective.

wrenegade · #**143** Posted **Sep 22, 2010, 6:53 PM**

I think this would be a effin' wicked project. Especially if you could adapt or combine the cut to become hiking/mountain biking trails (or with existing). The gondola could become a tourist attraction in itself, all for the price of a bus ticket!

tybuilding · #**144** Posted **Sep 22, 2010, 9:57 PM**

I am glad they mentioned cycling. I go to Burnaby Mountain at least a few times a year to downhill bike. Usually we ride the bus up. A gondola would be awesome!

djmk · #**145** Posted **Sep 22, 2010, 10:39 PM**

this is great!

2.8.13 says it will be unstaffed and 2.10.2 says certain bus routs will be cut back.

right there shaves couple hundred thousand in wage costs

however, i am sure there still is a need for a community bus on top of the hill.

vanlaw · #**146** Posted **Sep 22, 2010, 10:57 PM**

So what kind of gondola cabins do you guys think would be appropriate for this? According to Wikipedia, which we all know is dead accurate

the Peak 2 Peak has 28 cabins with 28 person capacity each. It makes the 4.4 km trip in 11 min, and has capacity of approx 4100pph.

As the "crow flies" on flat map Production Way station to top of hill is approx 2.8 km, so with the altitude increase, perhaps 3.25km??? Do you think they would go with a cabin similar to peak 2 peak at 28 people, or larger with fewer trips?

What’s the capacity of the buses that run up the hill right now from Prod Way and how often do they run at peak?

nname · #**147** Posted **Sep 22, 2010, 11:20 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by vanlaw

What’s the capacity of the buses that run up the hill right now from Prod Way and how often do they run at peak?

Currently there are 23 runs between 9 and 10am, so thats about a bus every 2.6 minutes, or around 2600 pphpd.

Waders · #**148** Posted **Sep 23, 2010, 1:44 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by allan_kuan

Very cool development, although I highly doubt this will take off completely without some sort of PPP due to the priorities already set out by TransLink and Metro Vancouver for the next few years.

This makes me want to ask as an off-topic question: how should PPPs be financed after their construction? Should revenue come from a surcharge on top of regular fares (which would be made easier btw by a smart-card system) or should it come directly from existing transit revenues?

BTW, I have no bias towards SFU, and in fact I even go there if anybody's wondering. It's just that the funding issues with TransLink are so restrictive towards other developments that I'm almost willing to pay more for an upgrade from the slow crawl that characterizes most students' commutes to campus.

The RFP refers to PPP multiple times. The project will be a P3 partnership if it ever get the approval.

Metro-One · #**149** Posted **Sep 23, 2010, 2:38 AM**

One would think SFU should be the third party member to pay

Waders · #**150** Posted **Sep 23, 2010, 3:12 AM**

UniverCity, a sustainable urban community that will eventually house 10,000 people on Burnaby Mountain, would be one of the major beneficiary of the gondola.
So SFU Community Corporation, which manages the development of the UniverCity community, should also be a partner.
It is interesting to note one of the Board Director is Jane Bird, the former CEO of Canada Line Rapid Transit Inc.
Source: http://www.univercity.ca/home.42.html

Waders · #**151** Posted **Sep 23, 2010, 3:42 AM**

From CTV news, a picture about the gondola route.

Source: http://images.ctv.ca/archives/CTVNew...ola_100922.jpg

Full article is at http://www.ctvbc.ctv.ca/servlet/an/l...shColumbiaHome

Waders · #**152** Posted **Sep 23, 2010, 3:53 AM**

Apparently Doppelmayr Garaventa Group, which built the Peak 2 Peak, said it would be interested in building the SFU tramway.
The company has already done a feasibility study on the project

See full news article at http://www.vancouversun.com/news/the...#ixzz10Jz3Pp88

Millennium2002 · #**153** Posted **Sep 23, 2010, 4:45 AM**

The gondola / aerial tram developments are great but it also sparks a debate in my mind about which technologies are the best for handling the large crowds that often exist at the bus loop.

In the case of gondolas, there's are many cars with frequent service, but capacity in each car will be consequently smaller.

An aerial tram is much less frequent but carries more per load. There are also possibilities about using double-decker trams or even two tracks of trams (sort of like what happens in Grouse Mountain). This is the option I currently prefer because of the fact that I perceive tram cars to be able to carry more due to their size, which may or may not be true in the end. (Can someone verify?)

An alternate to both overhead options would be a funicular, which is essentially two trains underground at opposite ends of the hill that are connected by rope. This may have the highest capacity depending on how things are built but it'd also be the most expensive due to the extensive tunneling required.

SpongeG · #**154** Posted **Sep 23, 2010, 5:03 AM**

whatever it is in portland would be good here

www.portlandbridges.com

jlousa · #**155** Posted **Sep 23, 2010, 5:07 AM**

The case study I linked to explains most of your questions.

Millennium2002 · #**156** Posted **Sep 23, 2010, 5:24 AM**

Thanks. =)

SFUVancouver · #**157** Posted **Sep 23, 2010, 6:23 AM**

I'm absolutely thrilled to see the proposal advance to the Translink RFP stage.

I believe that the SFU Community Trust has been pondering the idea since it was founded. I first heard about the idea in 2007 and I was offered the chance to do the initial feasibility report for the Trust. In early 2008 I finished my report titled The Promise of Gondola Rapid Transit: A Green High Speed Link for the Growing Burnaby Mountain Community. The Trust followed up on my report by hiring a professional technical consultant to do a thorough study and gratifyingly we reached the same conclusions. As a student who was learning as I went I am proud to have generated very similar numbers to what made it into the Translink RFP too.

Alex Mackinnon · #**158** Posted **Sep 23, 2010, 6:30 AM**

I'd go for the gondola style lift rather than a tram. With a gondola as long as you overspec the support cables you can add additional cabins on in the future.

Also, you'd have to have massive cable trams to meet that kind of capacity with only a 2 cabin system. If you've got an avg. line speed of about 20km/h, and take a minute to load/offload on each end, you're only getting 3.4 round trips per tram line per hour. Big freaking cabins.

mezzanine · #**159** Posted **Sep 23, 2010, 6:33 AM**

This would be awesome.....

Interestingly, I went to Portland on labour day and the OHSC aerial tram was closed for the holiday. If they build it, make sure it is geared for frequent use.

hollywoodnorth · #**160** Posted **Sep 23, 2010, 6:34 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by SFUVancouver

I'm absolutely thrilled to see the proposal advance to the Translink RFP stage.

I believe that the SFU Community Trust has been pondering the idea since it was founded. I first heard about the idea in 2007 and I was offered the chance to do the initial feasibility report for the Trust. In early 2008 I finished my report titled The Promise of Gondola Rapid Transit: A Green High Speed Link for the Growing Burnaby Mountain Community. The Trust followed up on my report by hiring a professional technical consultant to do a thorough study and gratifyingly we reached the same conclusions. As a student who was learning as I went I am gratified to have generated very similar numbers to what made it into the Translink RFP.

well it goes with out says that your the man

cheers!