My experience with cable cars
After seeing examples of
transportation in cities in todays lecture, I wanted to share some of my experience
with these alternative means of transport.
Pictured below is the cable car system in La Paz, Bolivia that I got the
chance experience this summer.
It was amazing to me how
commonplace and efficient the use of cable cars were in the city. Instead of buses and taxis, the majority of
people used the cable cars for their daily commute. Each cable car allowed a user to easily hop-on
and hop-off, with each stop having a travel distance of no more than 3-4 minutes. As you can see from the pictures, most of the
neighborhoods the cable cars traveled over were in poor condition. Many of the structures were built by the
users themselves, and many structures were in no condition to be considered habitable. In this environment of haphazardly built
structures, mountainous terrain, and dense population, the cable car seemed to
provide a breath of fresh air and a welcome mode of transportation. Had this system not been in place, I think
the daily commute of locals would be strenuous, exhausting, and inefficient. Additionally, because a car could only hold approx.
8 people- it allowed for an intimate experience during daily travel.
It was hard to relate to this incredible
use of transportation, because in our own lives we are so tied to our cars and seemingly
inefficient modes of transportation. In
big cities throughout America, we utilize systems such as the subway, metro,
and light rails that at times can seem cumbersome and overworked. Seeing this new method of transport was enlightening
to me. How people move is certainly
political in nature, but we can take note of systems that are working- not just
for some participants, but for all.
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| Typical neighborhoods in La Paz, Bolivia as seen from the cable car |
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| Housing below the cable car route. These facades were painted bright colors by their occupants, providing a unique method of neighborhood visibility from far away. |
Wow! This is amazing to see. Thank you for including personal reference. Much like when we discussed the cable cars in class, I truly wonder what the impact this cable car has had on the development in La Paz. It seems from your pictures, that the slums and illegal building are still there - but I wonder whether crime rates have dropped because of the "eyes above" mentality. I think the cable cars are great for transportation uses and getting people to and from work that otherwise wouldn't be able to because like the reading for this week mentions, these people wouldn't have the chance otherwise since society is truly favored to the rich. It's also so shocking that a system like this in the US would be highly commodified.
ReplyDeleteGreat post! Sometimes, I feel like something simple as accessibility is taken for granted here and we usually don't consider it as part of the problem of social injustice. It takes us to go to other countries to see and experience how something as common as moving around has an impact in designing proper modes of transportation.
ReplyDeleteI think your post hits the nail on the head and goes to show that transportation is an important factor that often gets overlooked in discussions on spatial justice and injustice within cities. It directly relates to connectivity and an individual’s ability to access basic needs, quality amenities, opportunities, and overall their individual share of resources the city has to offer. It kind of reminded of our site visit to the LOT Project at the beginning of the semester when Andy described to us the hardship many residents of the Alphabet Streets and other lower income communities in Anderson face due to the lack of adequate public transportation that has impeded their access to basic needs and goods.
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