Support builds for Amsterdam gondola over IJ river

A gondola line over the IJ river in Amsterdam is gaining support. Such a cable car line over the river could play an important role in improving traffic flows between Amsterdam-Noord, West and Oost, engineering firm Arcadis concludes in their feasibility investigation.

According to Arcadis, a line of gondolas a hundred meters above the harbor is quick to implement and relatively cheap at 53 million euros per cable lane. You can even get away with regular public transit prices. The gondolas also have a high capacity - each cable line can transport between 3,400 and 11 thousand passengers per hour, depending on the number of bicycles on board. A new gondola can depart every 20 to 40 seconds and travels at 29 kilometers per hour, which means you can reach the other side of the river within minutes with virtually no wait.

Gondolas will also be convenient, according to Arcadis. They can accommodate bicycles, strollers and wheelchairs. And stations and masts don't need a lot of room and can easily be integrated into existing and new buildings.

This feasibility study was commissioned by initiators of the gondola across the IJ idea Bas Dekker and Willem Wessels. They crowdfunded the costs. According to AT5, neighborhoods Noord, Oost and West helped pay for the study.