I think, from the context of Bath’s proposed idea for a Cable Car, the one thing we can learn from Medellin’s cable cars is “it has encouraged people to walk and use public transit”. It is important to stress that Medellin’s cable car was built as an integrated public transport solution first that became a tourist attraction. For Bath, once we know the final proposal, this must also hold true. It must be an integrated cheap public transport solution that supports cycling first, a tourist attraction second.
How can cities grow in ways that promote social inclusion?
The city of Medellín, Colombia, built a cable car system to provide a new type of public transport that connected poorer people, living in rugged areas, to Medellin’s public transport system. The cable car system, Metrocable, was part of an integrated investment in new public transport and neighbourhood infrastructure. It began operation in 2004, and the success of the first line lead to the construction of several other cable car lines that transport tens of thousands of people daily.
Medellín: Colombia’s Sustainable Transport Capital from STREETFILMS on Vimeo.
Medellin was the first city to use gondola technology, originally developed for tourism, as a type of urban mass transit. In Medellin, the increased mobility provided by the cable cars, combined with investment in community schools, housing, community projects and other infrastructure, helped increase employment and decrease crime in areas that…
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