Imagine floating above San Francisco Bay. This is the view. Bay to Sky. The Ohlone Sky aerial tram is a proposed transit system connecting Treasure Island and Yerba Island to the rest of San Francisco via Pier 24. It could be built quickly and would provide much benefit — essentially becoming the transit center for Treasure Island serving residents and tourists alike. Transit to and from the island would be a cinch with nary an impact to Bay Bridge traffic. What is Ohlone Sky? Ohlone Sky (working title) is a proposed network of gondolas (aerial cable cars) from Pier 24 along the Embarcsadero to Yerba Buena Island and Treasure Island. What is an gondola or aerial cable car? A gondola or aerial cable car is literally a "car" (cabin) propelled by a cable strung between two or more stations. Some of the most common types of gondolas are enclosed cabins or simply open-air ski lifts at ski resorts. A gondola cabin and can transit for 4-15 people. An aerial tramway 80-100. How fast are aerial trams? State-of-the-art 3S gondola lifts by Doppelmayr can travel up to 8.5 m/s or 19 mph. Thus, the San Francisco to Treasure Island journey is a mere ten minutes at top speed. Where are the proposed stations? San Francisco has three stations: Pier 24, Yerba Buena Island, and Treasure Island. How often will it run? This depends on demand. Departures could be every thirty seconds dawn to dusk or shorter during periods of high demand. Fully built Ohlone Sky is within mere minutes of Muni Metro, Muni and BART, and the San Francisco Ferry terminal. Frequency equals freedom. Why San Francisco? Currently, developers are building 20,000 units of housing on Treasure Island. A small number of condos have also been build on Yerba Buena Island already. This is the carbon-neutral transit solution to driving on the Bay Bridge. Its frequency cannot be equaled by any other form of transit. We love the ferry but need greater capacity. And then there's no driving. No thank you. Who relishes traffic on the Bay Bridge? No one. What about the wind? The most advanced Doppelmayr/Garaventa 3S gondolas tolerate winds to 68 mph (110 kmh). This covers all but the windiest of days. The system would be shut down well before those wind velocities occur not because of safety but because people get motion sickness. Who is this for? This system is for residents and tourists travelling between Treasure Island, Yerba Island, and San Francisco: for soccer, a concert, for pleasure. It's a clean, enviromentally friendly, carbon neutral and no one has to drive.
How much will Ohlone Sky cost to build? Globally, these run about $7 million per mile. However, station size and design wildly inflate this cost. Currently, Paris, France is building at 4.5-kilometer-long cable car (“Câble C1“) for €132 million (~ $145 million) with five stations to be completed in 2025. The San Francisco route is roughly the same length with fewer stations we expect this project to cost at least that amount in current dollars. How fast can this be constructed? Any one of these routes could be completed within five years when funded and permits secured. London, England built the two-station IFS Cloud Cable Car (originally Emirates Air Line) in ten months for the 2012 Olympics. Except for the stations and towers that support the cables, the ropeways and cabins are standarized and can be employed quickly. No tunneling. No airports. Very little land to acquire. How long can a ropeway or cableway be between towers? According to the Doppelmayr Group, "typically, there is a distance of 150 to 300 metres between towers for a monocable installation and 800 – 1500 metres for a tricable installation." How much will it cost to ride Ohlone Sky? The price has not been set. We imagine the fare to inline with other transit systems in the Bay Area. It will be accessible via Clipper and mobile payment options. How far is the Ferry Building to Pier 24? It's approximately one-half mile or 800 meters; about a ten minute walk. The Ferry Building is one of the most visited places in San Francisco. We expect more than a handful of those visitors to ride Ohlone Sky.
What is the current state of rail in the the Bay Area? CalUrbanist.com, by Steve Boland, publishes a comprehensive map of current Bay Area Rail systems. What are some examples of gondolas and aerial trams? Locally, Oakland has the super cool Oakland Zoo Gondola which sports a six-county bird's-eye view over live oak trees, elephants, camels, and bison. San Francisco sports a short gondola to Salesforce Park from the street-level plaza at the Salesforce Transit Center. In Napa, Sterling Vineyards
lays claim to "the only winery in the world with a aerial gondola." In Oregon, the
Portland Aerial Tram connects South Waterfront to Marquam Hill with 10,000 daily riders. In Colorado, the
Telluride Village Gondola "offers free, seasonal transportation for the public." Some consider it the most beautiful commute in the United States. For now. In New York, the Roosevelt Island Tramway connects the Upper East Side in Manhattan to Roosevelt Island. It was the first commuter aerial tramway in North America, opening in 1976. What's a good blog on gondolas and aerial trams? The Gondola Project is an excellent resource for the latest proposals and openings around the globe. When can I ride this? We can't ride this yet but we can certainly share our enthusiasm and with local, state, and federal officials and other interested parties to get this built.
Introduction
Frequently Asked Questions About Ohlone Sky
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