For years now, there have been plans to create a gondola connection from Georgetown to Rosslyn, and, according to a newly released study, the transit system is both feasible and legal.
According to the study, the gondola would have “no fatal flaws” and would serve at least 6,500 passengers each day. Constructing the gondola system would cost between $80 million to $90 million with annual operating costs hovering around $3.25 million.
The gondola line would have around 24 cabins, each of which would be able to hold around 12 people. Every 20 seconds to a minute, gondola cabins would pick up passengers. It would take approximately four minutes to cross the Potomac River using the proposed transit option. There are no reports yet as to what the fares would be for the service.
This past April, two local governments, Georgetown University, and other entities paid ZGF Architects LLP approximately $190,000 to conduct the study.
According to The Washington Post, the Georgetown Business Improvement District contributed $90,000 to the study, while a committee of representatives from the District Department of Transportation, Arlington County, and other agencies oversaw it.
The next steps for making a Georgetown-Rosslyn gondola include an extensive, multi-jurisdictional, and multi-agency approval process, which could take up to four years, as reported by UrbanTurf. Construction could take around two years.
If interested in reading the entire study, see the document below.
Georgetown-Rosslyn Gondola Feasibility Study by Eater.com on Scribd
• A gondola connecting D.C. and Virginia? It’s feasible and legal, study finds. [The Washington Post]
• The Georgetown-Rosslyn Gondola is Deemed Feasible [UrbanTurf]