For one week only, get an up-close view of Staten Island’s proposed aerial gondola
While the city continues to develop ways to quicken commutes between Manhattan and the outer boroughs (like the soon-to-be-launched NYC Ferry), the Staten Island Economic Development Corporation (SIEDC) has taken matters into their own hands and created an idea for an aerial gondola. Similar to the East River Skyway proposal, which would transport passengers across the East River to ease the inconvenience of the impending L train shutdown, the gondola would take commuters in the sky from the borough to Bayonne, NJ where they’d connect to the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail and ultimately the PATH. As WYNC learned, starting this week and for seven days only, the gondola will be touring Staten Island on the back of a flatbed truck to boost support from officials to fund the project.
Photo courtesy of SIEDC
As 6sqft covered last fall, the gondola design comes from Colorado-based cable systems developer Leitner-Poma of America’s (LPOA) who won SIEDC’s contest to find the best-designed air tramway. The corporation estimates that the trip from Elm Park to the World Trade Center PATH train would take just 33 minutes. According to the proposal, the gondola portion of the commute takes six minutes and would depart every minute. The SIEDC says aerial cableways are both cost-effective and an environmentally sustainable to travel within cities.
Bayonne Mayor Jimmy Davis told NJ.com last fall that he’s concerned with how the gondolas’ descent onto Eighth Street would affect the surrounding neighborhood, which already has tolerated construction on the Bayonne Bridge since 2013. Currently, the SIEDC is working to secure funding for a feasibility study of the project. If the proposal gets approved, estimates have it costing about $60 million.
As reported by SI Live, here’s where you can view the aerial gondola cabin this week:Â
April 20: The cabin will drive through St. George, Tompkinsville and Stapleton for public viewing, 7 a.m to 10 a.m., and 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
April 21:Â College of Staten Island, 10 a.m to 2 p.m.
April 22: Staten Island Mall, (East Pacific/Chase Back Parking Lot), 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
April 23: Father Capodanno Boardwalk (Sand Lane parking lot), 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
April 24: St. John’s University Staten Island Campus, 10 a.m.-noon, and Wagner College, noon to 2 p.m.
April 25: The cabin will drive through the “SIEDC Neighborhood Development towns” of Richmond Road, New Dorp, Huguenot, and Richmond Valley for public viewing, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
April 27: SIEDC Business Conference at Hilton Garden Inn, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
[Via WYNC]
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