Aerial Cable Transit Feasibility Study WORK ORDER # GPC V-31 PREPARED BY FEBRUARY 2016 THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK AERIAL CABLE TRANSIT FEASIBILITY STUDY Final Report Work Order #GPC V-31 February 2016 Prepared by: The preparation of this report has been financed in part from the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) through the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and/or the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), the State Planning and Research Program (Section 505 of Title 23, U.S. Code) and Miami-Dade County, Florida. The contents of this report do not necessarily reflect the official views or policy of the U.S. Department of Transportation. Final Report THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK GPC V-31: Aerial Cable Transit Feasibility Study Final Report TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Introduction .......................................................................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Agency Coordination ................................................................................................................................................. 4 2. ACT Technology .................................................................................................................................................................. 5 2.1 System Characteristics .............................................................................................................................................. 5 2.1.1 Climate Control ......................................................................................................................................... 6 2.1.2 Sustainability ............................................................................................................................................ 6 2.1.3 Reliability/Safety ....................................................................................................................................... 7 2.1.4 Evacuation .............................................................................................................................................. 10 2.1.5 Accessibility / ADA ................................................................................................................................. 11 2.2 ACT System Types .................................................................................................................................................. 12 2.2.1 Mono-Cable Gondola (1S) ...................................................................................................................... 12 2.2.2 Bi-Cable Gondola (2S) ........................................................................................................................... 12 2.2.3 Tri-Cable Gondola (3S) .......................................................................................................................... 13 2.2.4 Jig-Back and Dual-Line Aerial Gondola .................................................................................................. 13 2.2.5 Pulse Gondola ........................................................................................................................................ 14 2.3 Selected ACT Technology Type .............................................................................................................................. 15 2.4 Representative Urban ACT Systems ....................................................................................................................... 17 2.4.1 Roosevelt Island Gondola – New York City, NY ..................................................................................... 17 2.4.2 Oregon Health Sciences Tramway – Portland, Oregon .......................................................................... 19 2.4.3 Mountain Village Gondola – Telluride, Colorado .................................................................................... 20 2.4.4 Metro Cable Gondola – Medellin, Colombia ........................................................................................... 22 2.4.5 Mi Teleferico Gondola – La Paz, Bolivia ................................................................................................. 23 2.4.6 Constantine / Tlemcen / Skikda ACT Systems – Algiers, Algeria ........................................................... 25 2.4.7 Emirates Airway Gondola – London, United Kingdom ............................................................................ 26 2.4.8 The Wire Gondola – Austin, Texas (Proposed) ...................................................................................... 28 2.4.9 Georgetown Gondola – Washington, D.C. (Proposed) ........................................................................... 29 2.4.10 Mexi-Cable ACT System – Mexico City, Mexico (Under Construction) ................................................ 30 2.5 ACT Technology Conclusions ................................................................................................................................. 33 3. Transit Needs Identification ............................................................................................................................................... 35 3.1 Activity Centers within the Study Area ..................................................................................................................... 35 3.2 Previous and Ongoing Relevant Studies ................................................................................................................. 37 3.2.1 State Road 836 Express Bus Service (2015) ......................................................................................... 37 3.2.2 Enhanced Bus Service Along Flagler / SW 8th Street (2014).................................................................. 37 GPC V-31: Aerial Cable Transit Feasibility Study i Final Report 3.2.3 Beach Corridor Transit Connection Study (2014) ................................................................................... 38 3.2.4 Metromover System Expansion Study (2014) ........................................................................................ 38 3.2.5 Enhance Bus Service Along Biscayne Boulevard – Rapid Biscayne (2013) .......................................... 39 3.2.6 Biscayne Green (2015)........................................................................................................................... 39 3.2.7 Metrorail – Coconut Grove Connection Study (2007) ............................................................................. 39 3.2.8 Interim BRT Service to Downtown via the MacArthur Causeway (Ongoing) .......................................... 40 3.2.9 CSX East-West Rail Feasibility Study (Ongoing) ................................................................................... 41 3.3 Existing and Proposed Transit Services .................................................................................................................. 41 3.3.1 Existing Transit ....................................................................................................................................... 41 3.3.1.1 South Florida Regional Transportation Authority – Tri-Rail ............................................ 41 3.3.1.2 Miami-Dade Transit - Metrobus ...................................................................................... 42 3.3.1.3 Miami-Dade Transit - Metrorail ....................................................................................... 42 3.3.1.4 Miami-Dade Transit - Metromover ................................................................................. 42 3.3.1.5 City of Miami Trolley ...................................................................................................... 42 3.3.1 Planned or Proposed Transit .................................................................................................................. 44 3.3.2.1 MDT Transit Development Plan ..................................................................................... 44 3.3.2.2 Metromover Expansion .................................................................................................. 45 3.3.2.3 Miami Regional Intermodal Plan .................................................................................... 45 3.3.2.4 Southeast Florida Regional Transportation Plan ........................................................... 45 3.3.2.5 All Aboard Florida / Brightline......................................................................................... 46 3.4 Underserved Markets and Transit Needs ................................................................................................................ 47 3.5 Transit Market Conclusions ..................................................................................................................................... 49 4. Alternatives Development and Evaluation ......................................................................................................................... 50 4.1 Preliminary ACT Alignment Alternatives .................................................................................................................. 51 4.1.1 Miami Beach to Convention Center Alignment ....................................................................................... 51 4.1.2 MacArthur Causeway to Watson Island Alignment................................................................................. 52 4.1.3 Watson Island to