Photo: Lindsay Cohen
Moving east-west along Union Street, an urban gondola could connect passengers between the Washington State Convention and Trade Center to Pike Place Market and the Seattle waterfront. At least, that's the plan according to The Griffith family, who formally introduced their plan to reporters Tuesday.
With concerns growing daily about how the Highway 99 Tunnel project and seawall construction will affect foot traffic and parking in the future for waterfront businesses, the gondola plan is an attempt to make parking and travel easier for locals and tourists alike.
Some notable tidbits…
· The project will be 100% privately-funded. No taxpayer money.
· Each gondola car would hold up to eight people and the entire system could move 1,800 people per hour.
· While no cost was presented, it would be "tens of millions of dollars" according to the developer.
· Construction could not begin until the Viaduct was demolished. No other way around, over or under.
· Some Union St. building tenants have already expressed concerns about privacy.
Maybe it could work. Maybe it would be overkill. Plenty of time now before we see official renderings and the city gets to have their say. In the meantime, don't let it ever be said that the people of Seattle don't have options for not walking...
So in #Seattle we have bus, train, trolley, street car, ferry, car share, water taxi, light rail and now.... the #SeattleGondola.
— Jana Uyeda (@jana_obscura) March 4, 2014
· Developer announces details for proposed downtown gondola [Seattle Times]
· Another Day, Another Gondola Proposal For Seattle [Curbed Seattle]