Noticing KCKs proposal, I wanted to start a thread on past STL proposals for Gondola transit.

Zoo:
https://nextstl.com/2013/09/beyond-the- ... -30-years/

Arch:
https://nextstl.com/2011/01/578m-michae ... -specific/

Any others? I don’t think St. Louis has the right variables for Gondola but I’d support a network through Forest Park with a connection to Tower Grove / MoBOT

^ gondolas aren't mass transit (capacity is too low) but i think the KC proposal comes closer to transit than either of the previous STL proposals. the Zoo proposal was basically a parking lot tram, and there isn't enough activity on the IL side of the river for the Arch proposal to be anything other than a tourist ride.

There's zero need for any gondolas in St. Louis.  If someone wants to build one as a tourist deal, great, but there would be no true public transit benefit that extending existing bus lines, new BRT, or light rail couldn't do.

Laife Fulk wrote: ↑

Nov 13, 2021

There's zero need for any gondolas in St. Louis.  If someone wants to build one as a tourist deal, great, but there would be no true public transit benefit that extending existing bus lines, new BRT, or light rail couldn't do.

A St. Louis Zoo (crossing 40) or Mississippi River gondola seem like the best bets, both of which would be more leisure than transit. 

How about this, a gondola connecting STL City SC, Union Station, Enterprise Center, Busch Stadium and the Arch Grounds. One long touristy street connected by a touristy thing.

chriss752 wrote: ↑

Nov 13, 2021

How about this, a gondola connecting STL City SC, Union Station, Enterprise Center, Busch Stadium and the Arch Grounds. One long touristy street connected by a touristy thing.

Walking or Metrolink seem like great options for that route. 

wabash wrote: ↑

Nov 13, 2021

chriss752 wrote: ↑

Nov 13, 2021

How about this, a gondola connecting STL City SC, Union Station, Enterprise Center, Busch Stadium and the Arch Grounds. One long touristy street connected by a touristy thing.

Walking or Metrolink seem like great options for that route. 

Yeah, but this way you could avoid the "undesireables" 

I kid, I kid. 

wabash wrote: ↑

Nov 13, 2021

chriss752 wrote: ↑

Nov 13, 2021

How about this, a gondola connecting STL City SC, Union Station, Enterprise Center, Busch Stadium and the Arch Grounds. One long touristy street connected by a touristy thing.

Walking or Metrolink seem like great options for that route. 

Not only that but would love to see an at grade FPP & Grade intersection, FPP/Market Street, Brickline, & Chouteau Greenway between mid town & downtown completed before throwing another thing in to the mix

Gondolas are fine for getting people to the top of a mountain; anything else is just dumb. 

Portland Aerial Tram and Roosevelt Island/NYC are only two in US I'm aware of that are considered 'commuter' aerial trams and they have their place.  KCK's would probably be mostly tourist/local leisure targeted but highly likely would also be used by those who live/work along line for commuting purposes depending on fare (might be free fare like streetcar or certain qualified people given a pass like Portland's).  The cost is apparently quite a bit less than streetcar and the bluff terrain between the two downtown KC's make it a realistic option but I do think streetcar would be better for transit use if it can be pulled off terrain and cost wise.

Only reason to target aerial tram for commuter is if logistical challenges with other modes.

The Grafton/Confluence idea sounds neat but likely everyone noted it is really a tourist idea for the region.  

The only only other place to me is what everyone has mentioned already with the zoo where if they can do a dense theme/hotel/waterpark/structured parking type development on one side of freeway, take current surface lot into open type exhibits w tram going overhead and then extend past zoon to Art Hill..  

I really did love the MVVA gondola plan.  

Transit? No. But it was an ideal way to both engage the south side of the Arch Grounds *and* get some of those millions of visitors to the Arch over to Malcolm Martin park, which is pretty spectacular in its own right but very isolated.

-RBB