Aerial Ropeway Transit – Exploring Its Potential for Makkah
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Aerial Ropeway Transit – Exploring its Potential for Makkah Baha Alshalalfah, Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Toronto, Ph.D. Amer Shalaby, Associate Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Toronto, Ph.D., P.Eng Fadel Othman, Assistant Professor, Hajj Research Institute, Umm Al-Qura University, Ph.D. 1 Acknowledgement This study is sponsored by the Center of Research Excellence in Hajj and Omrah, Umm Al-Qura University. The authors of this report acknowledge the contribution, technical work and comments of Mr. Steven Dale (Creative Urban Projects), Dr. Mohammed Wahba and Mr. Zaven Mangassarian. The methodology and results presented in this report reflect the views of the authors only. 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE 0.0 Executive Summary ............................................................................................................................ 12 0.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................................................ 12 0.2 ART: Technology, Characteristics and Implementation ....................................................................... 12 0.3 Makkah Transport Conditions ........................................................................................................................... 13 0.4 Planning and Evaluation Process of ART Service in Makkah ............................................................. 15 0.5 Identification and Evaluation of Initial Set of ART Concepts ............................................................. 15 0.6 Preferred Concept Alignment, Specifications and Impacts ................................................................ 16 0.7 Demand Estimation ................................................................................................................................................. 20 0.8 Project Capital and Operating Costs ............................................................................................................... 26 0.9 Benefit Cost Analysis of the Preferred ART Concept.............................................................................. 29 0.10 Delivery and Financing Options ........................................................................................................................ 31 0.11 Recommendations and Next Steps .................................................................................................................. 32 1.0 Introduction and Context .................................................................................................................. 35 1.1 Overview ....................................................................................................................................................................... 35 1.2 Objectives of the Research Study ..................................................................................................................... 37 1.3 Structure of Report .................................................................................................................................................. 38 2.0 Introduction to ART Technology ..................................................................................................... 41 2.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................................................ 41 2.2 ART Technology ........................................................................................................................................................ 41 2.3 ART System Components ..................................................................................................................................... 42 2.3.1 Carriers (Cabins) ......................................................................................................................................... 43 2.3.2 Terminals (Stations) ................................................................................................................................. 43 2.3.3 Towers .............................................................................................................................................................. 44 2.3.4 Ropes (Cables).............................................................................................................................................. 44 2.4 Available ART Technologies ............................................................................................................................... 45 2.4.1 Aerial Tramways ......................................................................................................................................... 45 2.4.2 Dual-Haul Aerial Tramways .................................................................................................................. 47 2.4.3 Monocable Detachable Gondolas (MDG) ........................................................................................ 49 2.4.4 Bicable Detachable Gondola (BDG) ................................................................................................... 50 2.4.5 Tricable Detachable Gondolas (TDG) ............................................................................................... 52 2.4.6 Other ART Technologies ......................................................................................................................... 54 2.5 ART Manufacturers.................................................................................................................................................. 54 2.5.1 Doppelmayr/Garaventa Group ............................................................................................................ 54 2.5.2 Leitner Technologies ................................................................................................................................ 55 2.5.3 Poma Group ................................................................................................................................................... 56 2.6 ART Operations ......................................................................................................................................................... 56 2.7 ART Case Studies ...................................................................................................................................................... 60 2.7.1 Portland Aerial Tramway, USA ............................................................................................................ 60 2.7.2 Roosevelt Island Tramway, USA ......................................................................................................... 63 3 2.7.3 Medellin Metrocable, Colombia ........................................................................................................... 67 2.7.4 Caracas Metrocable, Venezuela ........................................................................................................... 69 2.7.5 Cable of Constantine, Algeria ................................................................................................................ 71 2.7.6 Ngong Ping Cable Car 360, Hong Kong ............................................................................................ 72 2.7.7 Rhine Ropeway, Koblenz ........................................................................................................................ 74 2.7.8 Telluride Gondola, USA ............................................................................................................................ 75 2.7.9 Complexo do Alemao Teleférico, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil .......................................................... 76 2.7.10 Sentosa Island Gondola, Singapore ................................................................................................... 77 2.7.11 Other Planned ART Installations ........................................................................................................ 78 2.7.12 Summary of Case Studies........................................................................................................................ 78 3.0 Makkah Transport Conditions ......................................................................................................... 81 3.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................................................ 81 3.2 Existing Transport Conditions in Makkah ................................................................................................... 81 3.2.1 Road Network Configuration ................................................................................................................ 81 3.2.2 Parking ............................................................................................................................................................. 86 3.2.3 Mass Transit Services ............................................................................................................................... 88 3.2.4 Pedestrian Flows......................................................................................................................................... 92 3.2.5 Characteristics of Hajj and Umrah ..................................................................................................... 95 3.2.6