Western Canada to consider urban cable cars

Many cities in western Canada are now considering cable cars as part of their tourism and transportation plans. Will this mean a boost for urban cable cars in the areas?

Edmonton and Red Deer could be the next big urban cable car projects in the canadian territory Alberta.

“In Red Deer, it’s really simple. There are two stations. It crosses the Red Deer River,” said Jeffrey Hansen-Carlson, president of Prairie Sky Gondola, which has said it would invest $25-million in the project.

The cable car would connect Red Deer’s business district with the Bower Ponds recreation area.

Downtown Edmonton and Whyte Avenue could also be connected via a cable car making it easy to cross the North Saskatchewan River.

The area is popular with bars, restaurants and stores. Geotechnical and environmental assessments are being done and public input is being gathered through meetings with Indigenous communities and others interested in the project as the Canadian Press reports.

Mr. Hansen-Carlson said an urban gondola can be a tourist draw, but it can also be a transportation solution.

“As a piece of infrastructure, simply moving people, its day has come,” he said. “Around the world today, there are about 200 urban ropeways successfully operating. So, we are not a pioneer globally, but we definitely are in the North American context.”