URBAN

ROPEWAYS

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Challenges to tomorrow’s
urban MOBILITY
THE BATTLE WITH TRAFFIC AND THE CONFLICTS IT CAUSES
Many towns and cities are struggling with massive traffic problems and overcrowded streets. Citizens suffer from
traffic jams, noise pollution and poor quality of air. Road networks can scarcely cope with the masses of cars any
longer and the space for new public transport systems is limited. It is essential to find innovative, environmentally
friendly and sustainable ways of improving urban mobility and at the same time reducing congestion, accidents and
environmental pollution. Strategies to meet these challenges and to solve the problems of urban mobility vary from
city to city and must be carefully analysed and examined.
A perfect
SOLUTION for the city
ROPEWAYS AS A FUTURE-ORIENTED OPPORTUNITY FOR URBAN MOBILITY
Thanks to their unique attributes, ropeways from LEITNER can be the optimum mobility solution for a wide range of
needs in urban environments. As a useful supplement to existing public transport services, a ropeway offers unbeat-
able arguments and is particularly advantageous where for example the topography makes it impossible to construct
a road, or rivers or sensitive areas have to be bridged, or roads are already reaching their capacity limits. In particular,
a ropeway can provide a good connection to parts of the city difficult to reach or to areas that are difficult to access.
Away from the mountains, the ropeways are highly requested as a means of transport in urban areas.
The ropeway originally comes from the urban environment and continues to fit in well with it. However, most city
dwellers are not yet aware of the opportunities that ropeways can offer for clean mobility in or near cities.
ROPEWAY SYSTEMS
Summary

Detachable Bicable / tricable Reversible

gondola lifts gondola lifts gondola ropeways

Aerial tramways MiniMetro Inclined elevators

Many current traffic problems can be solved with aerial ropeway systems. They relieve the
environment with both low energy costs and low emissions. Ropeways are also one of the
safest means of transport in the world.

PARTICULARLY SUITABLE AERIAL ROPEWAY SYSTEMS FOR THE CITY

MONOCABLE ROPEWAYS MULTI-CABLE ROPEWAYS

Monocable gondola lifts are designed with Bi- and tricable ropeways have a hauling
detachable grips and have one rope which cable and roll on one or two carrying
acts simultaneously as a carrying and ropes. They are designed with detachable
hauling rope. Boarding and deboarding grips, offer a very high carrying capacity,
areas can be passed comfortably at low guarantee a particularly high level of wind
speed and at the same time, the system stability and can be designed to cover
has a high carrying capacity. Monocable long spans.
gondola lifts are increasingly becoming an
expression of contemporary urban mobility.

TECHNICAL DATA TECHNICAL DATA

TRANSPORT CAPACITY: up to 4,500 people per hour TRANSPORT CAPACITY: up to 6,000 people per hour
SPEED: up to 7 m/s SPEED: up to 8 m/s
CABIN CAPACITY: up to 10 people CABIN CAPACITY: up to 35 people
The SOLUTION for the city connect sensitive recreation and leisure zones. The ropeways only
impinge on the ground where towers are erected and thus cause
Many current traffic problems can be solved with modern ropeways. They are quick and comparatively inexpensive only minor intrusions into the natural surroundings. Rope-hauled
to implement and need little space. Moreover, according to the Federal Statistical Office in Wiesbaden (DE), transport systems in the city therefore not only offer good views for 2
SOURCE: Statistisches
ropeways are among the safest means of transport². In urban areas, ropeways are deliberately used especially to passengers in the cabins, but also good prospects for the future. Bundesamt Wiesbaden 2011

1 2

1 GD8 TORREÓN | TORREÓN (MX)

2 GD10 ECATEPEC I+II | MEXICO CITY (MX)
3 GD10 TREBEVIC | SARAJEVO (BA)
 GD10 AWANA SKYWAY | GENTING (MY)

SUITABLE APPLICATIONS
for a ropeway
SYSTEM EXTENSIONS
TRAFFIC BYPASS Suburban residential areas often only have local bus operated transport systems with a low service frequency. Since
Ropeways operate on a different level from motorised individual and conventional public transport, so they can be these residential areas often have a high passenger potential, a connection to urban areas or at least to railway
used as a traffic bypass for highly congested inner-city traffic areas. Transport routes that do not have any capacity feeder lines is necessary. This function can be sensibly realised by urban ropeway concepts. System extensions by
reserves for individual or public transport due to their spatial limitations can also be relieved in this way. ropeways can also be suitable for radial transport networks if they connect the areas outside a city tangentially.

SOURCE: VDI-Statusreport Juni 2020, Page 8

 SOURCE: VDI Status Report June 2020, pages 8-9

CONNECTION OF AREAS WITH HIGH POINT-TO-POINT TRAFFIC VOLUME

Cities often have sectors with a high volume of point-to-point traffic, such as concentrated areas of the secondary
and tertiary economic sectors or tourist attractions which draw a large number of employees or visitors.
Due to their capacity for continuous transport and their ability to adapt directly to the demand for transport, urban
ropeways are suitable for providing a link with inner-city areas or existing local transport systems.

AUTONOMOUS TRANSPORT SYSTEM

Finally, urban ropeways can be operated as independent transport systems. By means of interchange possibilities,
1 GD10 MIO CABLE | SANTIAGO DE CALI (CO) even areas small in size can be effectively developed. A prerequisite for the application as an independent
2 GD10 AWANA SKYWAY | GENTING (MY) transport system, however, is a low to medium transport demand, since ropeways cannot cope with the transport
3 GD10 ECATEPEC I+II | MEXICO CITY (MX) performance of conventional local transport systems.

1 3

2
 GD8 NARIKALA | TBILISI (GE)

ADVANTAGES
of a ropeway SHORT CONSTRUCTION TIME
After placing the order, ropeways can be built within a very short time. This is made possible
by modular construction.

UNIFORM TRAVEL TIMES & CONTINUOUS TRANSPORT

The exclusive route of an aerial ropeway guarantees uniform travel times, because the ropeway COPING WITH STEEPER TRACK GRADIENTS
is not delayed by traffic on the roads. Passengers are transported continuously - without Ropeways can cope with greater inclines than any other vehicle and can be adapted to
timetable or waiting times. any terrain.

BARRIER-FREE ENTRY AND EXIT SAFETY

All cabins have level-walk-in access. The speed at which the cabins pass through the Compared with other means of transport: Accident survey by the Federal Statistical Office
stations is very low and allows easy entry and exit. With the stop-and-go technology, the Wiesbaden of 2011 (period 5 years - based on passenger kilometres travelled):
cabins can even be completely stopped momentarily. Bicycles and baby strollers can be aircraft 1 accident per 113 million km
carried in all cabins. ropeways 1 accident per 17.1 million km
cars 1 accident per 1.46 million km
railway 1 accident per 1.31 million km
LOW INVESTMENT AND OPERATING COSTS bus 1 accident per 616.000 km
Compared to other transport systems, ropeways have relatively low investment and tram 1 accident per 225.000 km
operating costs. The cost of a ropeway is about half that of a tramway system and about
1/10th of that of a metro. In relation to overall passenger carryings, ropeways are the safest form of transport.
OVERCOMING OBSTACLES
Suspended in the air, ropeways can cross obstacles of any kind.

CENTRAL DRIVE UNIT & POSITIVE ENERGY BALANCE

Ropeways operate environmentally friendly with electricity. Energy consumption can be
adjusted to the number of passengers. One central drive unit in a station is sufficient to move
a large number of vehicles.

ARCHITECTURE 1 GD8 BURSA | BURSA (TR)

The architecture of ropeway stations can be developed freely and influence the type of 2 BD10 SACHEON | SACHEON (KR)
construction and colouring of the towers and appearance of the cabins. 3 LEITNER DIRECTDRIVE, 2020

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3
 LITTLE SPACE REQUIRED
Even at the construction stage, ropeways create advantages which can be extremely
important in densely built-up urban areas. Towers and stations take up relatively little space
and the ropeways fit perfectly into the cityscape.

UNIQUE VIEW
Passengers enjoy an unrivalled view in the third dimension during their journey and this is
a feature which always gives a ropeway a tourist component and helps create an additional
source of income.

1 GD10 YENIMAHALLE | ANKARA (TR) EXCLUSIVE TRACK

2 GD8 NARIKALA | TBILISI (GE) There can be no collision with other road users, because the “track” is exclusively used
3 TD34 VOSS GONDOL | VOSS (NO) by the ropeway.

1 2

3
1 2

1 TD35 RITTEN | BOLZANO (IT)

2 BD17 NGONG PING 360° | HONGKONG (HK)
3 GD10 MIO CABLE | SANTIAGO DE CALI (CO)
4 GD8 TORREÓN | TORREÓN (MX)
 1 2

1 MM100 PISAMOVER | PISA (IT)

2 GD8 TELEFÈRIC DE MONTJUÏC | BARCELONA (ES)
3 GD8 EXPO ALT | SARAGOSSA (ES)
4 MM50 MINIMETRÒ PERUGIA | PERUGIA (IT)
LEITNER AG Headquarters
I-39049 Sterzing (BZ)
Tel. +39 0472 722 111
[email protected]
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