How about an Aerial Tramway?

[Kitchissippi]

I was thinking this could be a cool way to cross the River. Here's my crazy idea:



The NCC is thinking about putting a look-out at the foot of Bank Street anyway, so why not make it a hub?

from ncc-ccn.ca

A visitor centre here would be about the same distance to the Peace Tower than the existing ugly one, and the tent where all the tours start is actually along the way.

Aerial tramways can carry about 150 people, like this one in Austria:
from discover austria

A few cities use aerial tramways as public transport, ie New York City, Portland OR.

The cables would be unobtrusive to the view. On the Ottawa side the tram could come out the side of the escarpment from a structure that looks like part of the cliff, and on the Gatineau side, the terminal could be built into a new building, maybe incorporated into a new Museum, like this cool terminal in Portland:
from ETH Life intl.

Tourists would love this thing, but i could see locals using it regularly. Civil Servants could go from the Portage complexes to the Ottawa govt offices quickly, courriers on foot/bicycle could extend their range, shoppers could shuttle between Sparks Street Mall/Bank Street Promenade and Place du Centre with ease.

It's just a fantasy I wanted to share....

[Mille Sabords]

It would certainly add to the "coolhood" of downtown. Now, for that to make sense, the Gatineau side would need "something" at the other end to draw people. The Museum of Civilization is quicker to get to by the Alexandra Bridge. Therefore, the Scott Paper factory or its site should be redeveloped in some other way than a park... That site cries out for a massive waterfront entertainment complex.

[lrt's friend]

I am all for it, but it is really a tourist attraction and does not significanly add to our transportation network. Ticket prices are usually high in order to cover the operating costs and they don't move a lot of people.

[the capital urbanite]

I've looked at this option in the past...surprisingly it doesn't exist in any of the NCC visions.

I think of it as more of a public transit option rather than a tourist draw. A Rapibus connection on the Gatineau side and a connection to an underground concourse in downtown Ottawa would provide an alternative for Ottawa-bound Gatinois/Gatinoises.

We would need a World's Fair to even contemplate this option (although it would be cheaper than building the transit loop that the NCC has been proposing).

[Jamaican-Phoenix]

That site cries out for a massive waterfront entertainment complex.

Like what?

[Jamaican-Phoenix]

I think of it as more of a public transit option rather than a tourist draw.

While I totally agree that it would be cool to have, I don't think it would be truly viable as a public transit option. From where you're proposing this thing goes to, buses(and who knows? Maybe in the future even LRT) would make it to those locations faster than this aerial tramway.

A Rapibus connection on the Gatineau side and a connection to an underground concourse in downtown Ottawa would provide an alternative for Ottawa-bound Gatinois/Gatinoises.

Perhaps, but I believe the Rapibus is going to terminate at the station at Laurier and Maisonneuve.

We would need a World's Fair to even contemplate this option (although it would be cheaper than building the transit loop that the NCC has been proposing).

Given our current budget woes, a world fair seems to have died.

But hey, we can dream can't we?

[Kitchissippi]

Originally Posted by lrt's friend

I am all for it, but it is really a tourist attraction and does not significanly add to our transportation network. Ticket prices are usually high in order to cover the operating costs and they don't move a lot of people.

Several cities have 2-station lines, which this essentially is (NYC's Times Sq.—Grand Central or London's Waterloo & City for example). I estimate a crossing would take about 5 minutes, at 160 people per load that's 2,200 people per car an hour. since there's usually two cars per system you could double that. Carrying 4,000 an hour is pretty respectable.

This would be a downtown to downtown link, an no other proposed route would be able to match this convenience or speed.

Originally Posted by Mille Sabords

The Museum of Civilization is quicker to get to by the Alexandra Bridge.

Yeah, but the Alex bridge you have to walk, this you ride Plus after walking from Parliament to the Museum and then walking around the Museum for hours, do you really feel like backtracking a walk across the bridge again? With this plan, tourists could park at the escarpment garage, go up to the new visitor centre with a river view, take a tour of Parliament, walk to the Market, tour the Gallery, cross the Alex bridge, tour the Museum, then take the aerial tram back to their car. The less they move their car, the less traffic there will be downtown and across the bridges.

[the capital urbanite]

Originally Posted by Jamaican-Phoenix

While I totally agree that it would be cool to have, I don't think it would be truly viable as a public transit option. From where you're proposing this thing goes to, buses(and who knows? Maybe in the future even LRT) would make it to those locations faster than this aerial tramway.

buses or LRT would be slower....an aerial tram can cover the roughly 500m span in less than 3 minutes. The Portland aerial tram (public transit) route is 1km and takes 3 minutes.

This would be a relatively easy answer to the current problem associated with STO routes running into downtown Ottawa. It would also bridge the gap between BRT running in Gatineau and a future LRT tunnel running through Ottawa's CBD.

operational costs may however be higher than bus or LRT?

[Kitchissippi]

I would imagine it's like running a huge elevator. Maintaining cables should be easier and cheaper than rails or roadways.

[Jamaican-Phoenix]

The less they move their car, the less traffic there will be downtown and across the bridges.

Yes, because tourists contribute sooooo much to our clogged streets...

[Jamaican-Phoenix]

buses or LRT would be slower....an aerial tram can cover the roughly 500m span in less than 3 minutes. The Portland aerial tram (public transit) route is 1km and takes 3 minutes.

I'll debate that, since I'm pretty sure an STO bus can get you from point A to point B in the same time frame by using either the Portage or Alexandra Bridges.

[eemy]

Originally Posted by Jamaican-Phoenix

I'll debate that, since I'm pretty sure an STO bus can get you from point A to point B in the same time frame by using either the Portage or Alexandra Bridges.

Would they have such a high frequency though? The wait time makes a huge difference in utility.

[adam-machiavelli]

I see this as the Ottawa version of the London Eye. A slick addition to the skyline and not much else.

[lrt's friend]

If we were to do this, and use it as the Rapidbus terminus, we would need a major bus station on the Hull side. Forget the Museum.

[Jamaican-Phoenix]

That just made me think of something; what is the practicality of using this as a transfer from Hull STO buses to Ottawa OC Transpo buses? You'd just be creating TWO extra transfers for nothing!

I mean think about it; you're in Hull and you want to get to Ottawa. Most STO buses cross over into Ottawa along Wellington/Rideau, so no transfers adn it's still fairly quick. If you want/need to transfer to an OC Transpo bus, then that means only one transfer, max.

If this aerial tramway were to be used/marketed as public transit, what is the point? You'd ahve to get to a major STO transfer station, then get on the tramway, then get on an OC Transpo bus. That's two transfers for no real reason...

If it were to be built(and it would be awesome if it was), it would be solely tourist based.

I am for this project entirely, but not as a viable public transit option.

[YOWflier]

I like the idea but I think the best use for it is in a gimmicky, touristy type of application. People always love to take rides in trams/gondolas/etc. and they love 'water and stuff' so they would feast on this and the unique views it would offer.

[lrt's friend]

This would be essentially the same as a Confederation Boulevard tramway. It too would be mostly for tourists. I recall many years ago an attempt to provide a bus transit loop between downtown Ottawa and downtown Hull. Since most people actually want to travel beyond that loop route, it turned out to be a dismal failure and was discontinued.

[Jamaican-Phoenix]

This would be essentially the same as a Confederation Boulevard tramway.

Uhh, no.

[lrt's friend]

Uhh, no.

Different technology, different route, serves the same purpose, mainly for tourists travelling between tourist attractions.

[Kitchissippi]

Originally Posted by Jamaican-Phoenix

That just made me think of something; what is the practicality of using this as a transfer from Hull STO buses to Ottawa OC Transpo buses? You'd just be creating TWO extra transfers for nothing!

I mean think about it; you're in Hull and you want to get to Ottawa. Most STO buses cross over into Ottawa along Wellington/Rideau, so no transfers adn it's still fairly quick. If you want/need to transfer to an OC Transpo bus, then that means only one transfer, max.

If this aerial tramway were to be used/marketed as public transit, what is the point? You'd ahve to get to a major STO transfer station, then get on the tramway, then get on an OC Transpo bus. That's two transfers for no real reason...

If it were to be built(and it would be awesome if it was), it would be solely tourist based.

I am for this project entirely, but not as a viable public transit option.

You're looking at downtown as if it were some pass-though hub. It's more than that. There is a huge need to facilitate circulation within the core area.

There are a lot of inter-departmental meetings that involve people from either side of the river. Ask an office manager in Hull how much they spend on taxi chits to get them to the other side.

If you worked downtown, you'd get tired of going to the same places for lunch day in and day out. Imagine being able to cross the river so easily that Sparks/ Bank was mutually accessible with Place Aubry? I think this Aerial Tramway should be a free federal facility, much like the bridges. In fact this IS a bridge, a bridge that happens to move.