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 is a proposed network of gondolas (aerial cable cars) around the San Francisco Bay Area. There are three routes: 1) San Francisco to Treasure Island, 2) The Dumbarton Rail Corridor — Fremont to to Redwood City, and 3) between the Diridon Station and the San José Airport. 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 seven minutes at top speed.
Where are the proposed stations? San Francisco has three stations: Pier 24, Yerba Buena Island, and Treasure Island. The Dumbarton Rail Corridor has seven. From west to east: 1) Redwood City; 2) Middlefield Road (Menlo Park); 3) Willow Road (Menlo Park), adjacent Meta and Willow Village; 4) Dumbarton Circle (Fremont), also adjacent Meta; 5) Ardenwood Regional Preserve and Historic Farm; 6) Fremont Centerville, where the Capitol Corridor (Amtrak) and the Altamont Commuter Express (ACE) meet; and 7) BART Fremont Station and the 365-bed Washington Hospital. San José has two: Diridon Station, adjacent the SAP Center, and the San José Mineta International Airport. 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 connects to multiple transit systems: Caltrain, Amtrak, Altamont Commuter Express (ACE), SF Muni, VTA (San José), and the San José Airport. A journey ranges from 4-21 minutes. An end-to-end journey (e.g, Fremont to Redwood City) could take up to an hour. San Francisco to Treasure Island would be about ten minutes. We prefer short intervals. Frequency equals freedom. Why San Francisco? Currently, developers are building 20,000 units of housing on Treasure Island. 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 would like greater frequency than every thirty. Who relishes traffic on the Bay Bridge? No one. Of the three routes, the San Francisco line is paramount. Why the Dumbarton Rail Corridor? There is a transit desert between Menlo Park and Fremont. Few options exist. AC Transit U and the Dumbarton Express serve those traveling between the East Bay and Stanford University. Ohlone Sky offers a reliable, scenic journey with far greater frequency. In 2018, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission called for transit projects. This was proposed. Fast forward to January 2021, the Bay Area Council Economic Institute (BACEI) and Link21 concurrently announced the future of integrated rail in Northern California in The Megaregional Case for a New Transbay Rail Crossing. This report specifies a second transbay rail crossing project between Oakland and San Francisco and completing the Downtown Rail Extension connecting Caltrain to the Salesforce Transit Center. Also covered is the Dumbarton Rail alignment (pp. 42-43), which calls for an unspecified "other mass-transit technology" to connect the Peninsula to the East Bay. An aerial tram is that technology. It could be built decades before trains run on the Dumbarton Rail Corridor, if they ever do.
What about the PG&E transmission towers near the Dumbarton Bridge? The four westernmost PG&E Transmission Towers adjacent the Dumbarton Bridge when traveling east on the Dumbarton Bridge towards Fremont are: 91', 127', 83', and 100' from average sea level, respectively. They pose no issue to this alignment. Why San José? San José has been soliciting bids to connect Diridon Station to the San José Airport. This is the most cost-effective and expedient solution. Notably, this is $400+ million cheaper than one of the current proposed solutions. 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. Is this a public transport solution, tourist attract, or both? It's both. Who is this for? This system is for all of us. It's a clean, enviromentally friendly and seemless way to get around the Bay Area. It's enjoyable. And no one has to drive. Bay to Sky. What about the land for routes and stations? These routes occur over public roads and train tracks within the public right-of-way. Building within a right-of-way sigificantly reduces of the cost of acquiring land and minimizes community concerns. The Dumbarton Rail Corridor route uses a portion of the extant and non-operational Dumbarton Rail Corridor, public parks, and state property. The San José route occurs through the Guadalupe River Park. The San Francisco route occurs alongside the Bay Bridge, Yerba Buena and Treasure Island.
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. San José could be built for a song as infrastructure exists at each end of the alignment. 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 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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