1. Mass Transport Solutions for Cebu City – Aerial Ropeways
Introduction
At the end of 2014, Cebu Province’s population reached the 7 millionth mark, with 3.4
million Cebuanos spread out in urbanized jungles like Cebu City, and its neighboring
towns and cities of Talisay, Minglanilla, Lapu-Lapu, Mandaue, Consolacion, Lilo-an,
Cordova, and Danao. And around that time, traffic in Metro Cebu, especially during
school and office rush hours, was becoming a problem, with the average speed moving
slower at 10 - 15 kph. Public transportation like jeepneys and multicabs carry about 65%
of the daily trips, while taxis and (vehicle hires) V-hires carry 10%, and, private vehicles
carry a good 25%. The magnitude of the traffic problems of Cebu city will only worsen
with the increased in population. And the increase in population, also increases demand
for urbanization and, with increased urbanization come the ever increasing demand for
viable transport infrastructure. (Credit: RubenAlmendras, The Freeman, Feb25,2015)
In our quest to a more livable and sustainable city, we must first create a favorable
prospect for the urban public transport market, then, find new solutions to our current
and future transport problems - and this is where aerial ropeways can be part of the
solution - by providing an innovative and attractive approach to public transport. (Credit:
Katharina Bernard, AERIAL ROPEWAYSYSTEMS AND CITIES –CHALLENGES, SOLUTIONS AND BENEFITS).
The Aerial Ropeway Transport System
The Aerial Ropeway Transport System (ARTS) is a
type of aerial public transportation where
passengers are transported via cabins that are
suspended and pulled by cables. Some cities,
resembling that of Cebu’s transport infrastructure,
have already adopted this system, and they’ve just
recently discovered aerial ropeways inherent
flexibility and adaptability, giving it capabilities that
no other transit technologies share. Most of the
appeal comes in the technology’s low-cost
deployment, environmental friendliness and ability
to utilize air space rather than much-needed
ground space. (Credit: Erika Swallow,Can Gondolas Fix Urban
Transportation Woes? Jul 2013)
Monocable Detachable Gondola (MDG)
Credit: MichaelHudler

2. Monocable detachable gondola lifts have one main
cable acting as carrying and hauling at the same
time. Large windows offer passengers a panoramic
view, with built-in solar panels for Wi-Fi connection
while traveling. The cabins of this type of
installation transport up to 10 passengers per
cabin. These lifts are increasingly in demand for
alternative purposes, such as transport to tourist
sights, urban commuting, and as attractions in
themselves.
Advantages of Aerial Ropeway Systems
Popularity and Reliability: With the exception of San Francisco’s system, modern cable
transit is not manually operated; it’s fully automated, which eliminates the cost of
drivers and increases safety levels. This full automation offers the promise of
unmatched reliability and efficiency levels; current systems boast reliable less-than-one-
minute (LT1M) wait times between vehicles.
This potential is key to the ridership level of any public transit system. According to the
Transportation Research Board, wait times are 2.0 – 2.5 times more onerous to riders
than actual in-vehicle time, and the reliability of those wait times is equally important.
While most rail-based transit lines experience ridership that is half what was forecasted,
cable tends to experience ridership above forecasts.
Cost: ARTS is cheap to build and maintain. The vehicles operate without engines, which
drives down construction and maintenance costs. Cable transit systems can be built and
maintained for a fraction of the cost of typical light rail systems.
Generally speaking, the cost of cable transit is about 1/3 to 2/3 the cost of other
standard fixed link transit (all things being equal of course). Costs provided should not
be considered conclusive, but rather are approximate — offered as a general guide.
When estimating any public transit infrastructure, authorities, planners, and decision
makers must consider a wide variety of variables in their local context before arriving at
final values. While the cost of cable transit infrastructure is relatively straight forward,
land acquisition, civil and customization costs will factor in. Operations and maintenance
costs also differ based on country (wages); technology (number of stations and
therefore attendants); and usage (major replacements are effected by usage.) (Credit:
Katharina Bernard, AERIAL ROPEWAYSYSTEMS AND CITIES –CHALLENGES, SOLUTIONSAND BENEFITS)

3. Safety: With the exception of elevators, there are few public transit technologies with as
good a safety record as cable. Over 10,000 cable installations operate worldwide,
transporting billions of people per year, yet accidents are rare and fatalities are almost
unheard of.
Aerial ropeways are one of the world’s safest forms of transportation. Research from
the Swiss government demonstrates that gondolas and cable cars are safer than all
other forms of mass public transit and private automobiles. Statistically speaking, the
chances of a person experiencing a serious injury or fatality while riding a cable lift is
remarkably low. (Credit: Katharina Bernard,AERIAL ROPEWAYSYSTEMS AND CITIES –CHALLENGES, SOLUTIONS AND
BENEFITS)
Energy Efficiency: From an environmental standpoint, cable is in a class of its own. Due
to its use of gravity and counter-balancing, it is not uncommon for maintenance workers
to witness a cable system’s energy consumption drop below zero during peak loads.
That is, the systemitself can generate power.
Speed: Cable transit can operate at speeds of up to 45 km/hr, well in excess of the
average speeds of most traditional transit technologies. According to the American
Public Transit Association, buses average approximately 20 km/hr; subways 33 km/hr;
and light rail 24 km/hr. Average speed in urban public transit is dependent upon station
spacing and right of way, not technology choice.
As an example, on our proposed phase 1 project (Mactan International Airport to IT
Park): The distance between SM city and Ayala Center is roughly 1.5 Km. At the rate the
cable car makes, it will only take 1 – 2 minutes travel time (without any stops) from one
station to the next. On our phase 1 proposal, with a total of 10.5 to 11 kilometers cable
travel, it will roughly take 10 - 15 minutes travel time from IT Park all the way to the
airport, compared to 1 – 2 hours by land travel (minus the hassle of traffic).
Capacity: Aerial cable transit systems can move up to 10,000 persons per hour per
direction (pphpd) while ground-based systems can move up another 10,000 pphpd.
There is no single light rail line in all of North America that offers capacity greater than
3,700 pphpd and the average is less than 1,700.
Adaptability / Flexibility: While it’s true that most cable installations cater to tourists,
there is no reason to assume that they must. Similarly, just because most cable transit
uses short line lengths, does not mean that the technology cannot be implemented over
great distances. The technology is highly adaptable: while crossing rivers and climbing

4. mountains are obvious applications, a systemin Slovakia, for example, transports cars
instead of people.
The Vinpearl Island Gondola. TheUS$6milliondollar system links theVietnamesemainlandwith the Vinpearl Island resort across 3
km of sea.
The systemis designed towithstand monsoons andearthquakes. Image: Jameat Flickr.com
Ecological Footprint: A ropeway is based on the principle of continuous movement. As
such, it is a closed system which does not require energy to move its dead weight.
Ropeways only require energy to overcome mechanical friction and to move uneven
payloads on the uphill/downhill sides. This means there are no losses of braking energy
from carriers travelling downhill as found, for example, in the case of buses.
Furthermore, ropeways/Cable Liners do not produce local emissions of pollutants during
operation! (Credit: Katharina Bernard,AERIAL ROPEWAYSYSTEMS AND CITIES –CHALLENGES, SOLUTIONS AND BENEFITS)
Operational Efficiency: The ropeway is a means of public transport which can be
optimally linked to existing transport systems. Particularly in cases where there are
barriers to overcome (such as traffic jams, buildings, waterways, roads or railway lines),
ropeways can cost many times less than ground-based transport systems requiring
expensive bridges or tunnels to circumvent obstacles. However, it is not only investment
costs where ropeways score, but also in terms of energy consumption and personnel
costs. With very limited staffing exclusively in the stations, ropeways can carry up to
10,000 passengers an hour – the equivalent of 100 buses.

5. (Credit: Katharina Bernard, AERIAL ROPEWAYSYSTEMS AND CITIES –CHALLENGES, SOLUTIONS AND BENEFITS)
Benchmarking Aerial Ropeway Transport Systems
Countries that have implemented ARTS technology:
 La Paz, Bolivia - This city in South America is the closest to resemble Cebu City in
terms of landscape and transport infrastructure. The systemhas become so
successful that the country has just implemented 2 more lines making La Paz the
longest aerial ropeway transport in the world.
 Caracas, Venezuela – The Metrocable de Caracas is an aerial ropeway system
integrated with the city's public transport network, which provides quick and
safe transportation for those who live in the neighborhoods situated on Caracas'
mountainous regions. The system was built as a tool for social reform with
stations set up to accommodate a variety of services such as daycares, libraries,
police stations, markets and theatres.