Aerial cable cars as a transit mode: a review of technological advances, service area characteristics, and societal impacts in Latin America and the Caribbean

Abstract

The success of the first Metrocable line in Medellín (2004) as a feeder for the Metro system served as a turning point in considering the use of aerial cable cars (ACC) as a mode of public transport in urban settlements. In the following years, 33 ACC transit lines were inaugurated in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), the majority after 2010. This review has several aims: (i) to understand the differences in aerial cableway transit (ACT) technologies; (ii) to describe the characteristics of the ACC service area for the most critical case studies in LAC and identify their role in the public transport system; and (iii) to find the essential societal benefits presented by ACC. We will follow two complementary approaches. First, the review concentrates on the most recent technological advances. Second, 24 reports were obtained from scientific databases, complemented by another 18 found using the “snowball” method. Our findings show that detachable gondolas, called aerial cable cars in the transport literature, are the most used technology as a transit mode. Furthermore, the ACC initially served as a feeder mode, serving low-income communities on hillside terrains. However, some cases are restructuring the public transport system and building a comprehensive network utilising the ACC. The empirical evidence shows that complementary projects are essential to impact less-frequent ACC users and people in the neighbourhood. Moreover, travel time and cost reductions increase accessibility and reduce inequalities, especially in the service area. Participatory budgeting may also prompt community engagement with the project, especially among low-income residents. Considering integration between transport modes (and within transit modes) in the project's early stages will also increase ridership and users’ accessibility. Future research should focus on the travel behaviour and societal impacts of ACC integrated into the structure of the public transport systems.