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THE WORLD'S LONGEST AERIAL TRAMWAY
Nate Berg
The Atlantic Cities
http://www.theatlanticcities.com/commute/2011/12/worlds-longest-aerial-tramway/673/
Dec 8 2011
In a unique solution to a transportation concern, officials in Armenia
have built what's being touted as the world's longest aerial tramway.
Unlike some of the new gondola systems being built in heavily urbanized
areas in South America, this tramway connects a remote village to an
even more remote historic monastery, Tatev, one of the country's most
visited tourist attractions, as Armenia Now reports.
Dubbed the "Wings of Tatev," the roughly 3.5-mile route cuts
a direct path to the 9th century monastery over a dense forest
previously traversed only through winding roads. It's estimated that
the 11-minute trip on the tramway cuts more than a half hour out of
the trip, and enables wintertime visiting when roads are impassable.
Located in the southern tip of the country, the tramway was constructed
over about 11 months at a cost of roughly $18 million.
Much of the funding was donated by a businessman toward a larger
project aimed at reviving the monastery. It's estimated that about
20,000 people will ride the tramway each year.
By comparison, gondola and tramway systems recently built in dense
slum areas in Venezuela and Brazil are expected to carry between
15,000 and 30,000 passengers a day.
RIA Novosti reports that the Tatev tramway takes the title of
longest tramway from the 2.48-mile Sandia Peak Tramway in Santa Fe,
New Mexico. The Tatev tramway officially opened at the end of October.
Nate Berg
The Atlantic Cities
http://www.theatlanticcities.com/commute/2011/12/worlds-longest-aerial-tramway/673/
Dec 8 2011
In a unique solution to a transportation concern, officials in Armenia
have built what's being touted as the world's longest aerial tramway.
Unlike some of the new gondola systems being built in heavily urbanized
areas in South America, this tramway connects a remote village to an
even more remote historic monastery, Tatev, one of the country's most
visited tourist attractions, as Armenia Now reports.
Dubbed the "Wings of Tatev," the roughly 3.5-mile route cuts
a direct path to the 9th century monastery over a dense forest
previously traversed only through winding roads. It's estimated that
the 11-minute trip on the tramway cuts more than a half hour out of
the trip, and enables wintertime visiting when roads are impassable.
Located in the southern tip of the country, the tramway was constructed
over about 11 months at a cost of roughly $18 million.
Much of the funding was donated by a businessman toward a larger
project aimed at reviving the monastery. It's estimated that about
20,000 people will ride the tramway each year.
By comparison, gondola and tramway systems recently built in dense
slum areas in Venezuela and Brazil are expected to carry between
15,000 and 30,000 passengers a day.
RIA Novosti reports that the Tatev tramway takes the title of
longest tramway from the 2.48-mile Sandia Peak Tramway in Santa Fe,
New Mexico. The Tatev tramway officially opened at the end of October.