New Overhead Transit System Opens in Brazilian Slum

A new gondola cable car system is opening in a Rio de Janeiro slum to improve accessibility.

1 minute read

March 5, 2011, 7:00 AM PST

"Simply getting from point A to point B requires a sub-alphabet of zigzaggery up stairs, over switchbacks, and through alleyways that can be just a few feet wide. There's nowhere for public transit to go. Nowhere, that is, but up.

That's the direction for the newest transportation system in Rio, slated to open in March: a six-station gondola line running above a collection of favelas known as the Complexo do Alemão. The government says that 152 gondolas will carry 30,000 people a day along a 2.1-mile route over the neighborhood, transforming the hour-and-a-half trudge to a nearby commuter rail station into a 16-minute sky ride."

The new system is seen by some as a transport solution, but by others as public relations ahead of the city's hosting duties for the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympics.

FULL STORY: Rio de Janeiro’s Transit Solution: Cable Cars Over the Favelas

Monday, February 28, 2011 in Wired

Infrastructure Social / Demographics Transportation Central and South America Brazil rio de janeiro 2014 World Cup 2016 Olympics Gondolas View More

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Start Learning

Advertise with us

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.