Austin American-Statesman transportation reporter Ben Wear takes a deep look at the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority’s consideration of a possible aerial gondola system for Austin. Under the proposal by Jared Ficklin, a creative technologist, “the 10-person gondolas would be suspended on cantilevers from poles planted in the existing city right of way, or perhaps from U-shaped structures extending over the street, with 19 elevated stations,” Wear reports. Ficklin “foresees a capital cost of $290 million to $550 million, annual operating costs of $6 million in the beginning and ridership of as much as 13,000 a day.” CTRMA will vote next month on spending just $15,000 (to be split with the city of Austin and Capital Metro) on a “viability” study of the concept.
