Overview
Within the framework of the project "ROPEWAY_POT", funded by the FFG, and aimed at determining the potential for cable-car passenger transport, it was established that potentials in other areas of the overall transport system were also generated. In addition to new customers originating from the areas surrounding those potential cable-car stations examined, the installation of a cable-car as an integrated part of the public transport system leads also to a shift away from motorized individual transport, as well as pedestrian, bike and conventional public transport. In total, results show a potential of approximately 31 500 trips per work-day.
When a conveyancing capacity of 3 000 persons per hour and direction is assumed then there will still be significant capacity reserves remaining when the cable-car is only used for passenger transport. This makes the targeted effectiveness of the system in operation, despite environmentally relevant advantages, difficult to justify. With the need for resource-saving planning and development within urban areas it is therefore necessary to create solutions which exhibit an efficient and environmentally-friendly infrastructure system. For the first time, the potential for a fully-integrated goods delivery and freight logistic urban cable-car system as part of the "last mile" chain taking into consideration the parallel use of the cable-car in the public passenger transport system will be investigated.
The innovative system approach offers the possibility of concentrating the transport of goods from the city limits over the "last mile" to their destination while relieving a highly-frequented transport route thereby reducing damaging environmental effects. It is also considered that further synergy effects within the overall system of goods and passenger transport may be generated and in turn utilized. It is therefore our aim to evaluate, with the close involvement of relevant partners and stakeholder's expertise, to examine the possibility of shifting specific goods-flows, the requirements for such a system such as transport container size, refrigeration needs and the degree of automation taking into consideration existing system approaches which are to be collected and documented.
As basis for the determination of the potentials and their ensuing effects on the overall system hubs, located at the city limits, will be designed which will serve as transfer points for daily required goods and modular transport containers as the basis for the initial prototypes which will be described according to their capacity parameters and transport velocity. Using state-of-the-art simulation models the changes to goods and passenger transport potentials will thus be determined.