Core Activities

Urban Mobility

Sustainable, environmentally friendly and low-cost, ropeway transport overcomes the problems of urban congestion by creating overhead connections between urban and peri-urban zones, and by complementing or extending the existing transport networks.

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Rising to the challenges of transport

in the cities of tomorrow

We need to come up with sustainable urban transport solutions today that solve the problems connected to the expansion of towns and cities: congested networks, residents travelling further, rising population density, increasing energy consumption and pollution, isolated suburban zones, and land scarcity.

Ropeway transport opens up a third dimension: by operating overhead, it escapes the constraints that apply on the ground, travelling above the city and creating connections where other modes of transport cannot go. Since it uses little space on the ground, it fits perfectly into cities, where it reduces journey time for its users.

Quicker and easier to install in a dense urban zone, ropeways and gondola lifts have already been identified by the city of tomorrow as the new, eco-efficient mode of urban public transport.

In New York, Toulouse, Algiers, Nizhny Novgorod, Medellín, and Taipei… all over the world, urban ropeways make sense.

With their dedicated sites integrated into the network,

ropeway connections support cities in their development

Feeder and Multimodal Transport

Ropeway solutions are an unbeatable form of intermediary or last-mile transport. Both their routes and their transport capacity adapt closely to real needs. With a capacity of up to 6000 passengers per hour, urban ropeways are an eco-efficient solution for managing growing urban passenger flows.

They are easily integrated into the existing public transport network and can be interconnected with traditional systems (bus, metro, tram), as demonstrated in Medellín, Algiers and Toulouse, enabling overhead connections to isolated zones, with a positive socio-economic impact.

Urban ropeways are the innovative solution to make areas accessible and improve existing transport infrastructures by strengthening the network.

Overcoming obstacles

Ropeways are a unique form of transport, because they are not affected by natural obstacles (rivers, the sea, slopes and relief) or urban obstacles (buildings, roads, railways, electric lines), including congestion on existing routes. An innovative system that uses the 3rd dimension, gondola lifts and ropeways travel above the city, to create urban connections where other modes of transport are limited.

Introduced to overcome obstacles, as in Nizhny Novgorod (Russia) or Toulouse (France), POMA’s solutions create connections that are free of the constraints that apply on the ground.

Our urban projects

in motion

Overhead transport:

The ideal urban mobility solution

When additions are needed to a transport network, urban development plans are increasingly integrating ropeway solutions. These meet public transport needs by offering a sustainable option, thanks to their multiple environmental and planning advantages.

Urban ropeways and gondola lifts require little land. They can operate above any obstacle and fit into a restricted space.

They not only alleviate traffic on the ground, they also need just one motor to move an entire line of carriers on a rope. Moreover, there is no risk of collision with other route users. Because it needs very few support structures on the ground, ropeway transport preserves natural spaces and enhances life in the neighbourhoods it serves.

It is more than just a safe, fast and low-cost means of local transport: it also offers magnificent views to urban passengers.

Eco-friendly and silent:

An advantage for cities

All over the world, ropeways are becoming an increasingly relevant solution for managing growing passenger flows in an environmentally friendly way.

Faced with the saturation of urban road networks and traffic pollution, it is essential to modernise the urban transport offer using environmentally responsible and sustainable mobility solutions. In addition to the specific characteristics of ropeway transport, POMA is constantly innovating to improve energy optimisation.

The innovative DirectDrive® motor offers three advantages as part of a comprehensive eco-responsible approach: greatly reduced energy consumption, no hydrocarbon consumption, and finally much less noise pollution.

Additional green energy sources, such as solar panels on the cabins, are easy to integrate, to reduce the system's consumption.

In terms of operation, the line's speed can be adapted to optimise flows and the associated consumption. This is done using real-time data transmitted to the system's controls.

Furthermore, urban ropeways are silent, for the comfort of both passengers and locals.

The POMA advantage

Ropeway transport systems and infrastructures can also be dismantled and moved, which makes the solution reversible and flexible.

Overcoming obstacles

thanks to state-of-the-art technological solutions

Both on and above ground, POMA's technologies can complement and be integrated into public transport networks.
POMA LANDWAY solutions are designed to develop systems over short and medium distances. Be they APMs, inclined elevators or funicular railways, ropeway transport solutions on the ground have a large passenger capacity and offer excellent comfort.
POMA AIRWAY solutions are suitable for extreme level changes: a unique advantage. They are ideal for the most complex urban layouts and for heavy passenger flows. POMA airway solutions can be developed on separate sites or to complement existing transport systems, and they integrate perfectly into multimodal networks.

Our ranges

POMA’s expertise

in service of urban transport

Transport for

neighbourhoods

It is essential to interconnect with existing transport networks and create new urban connections if we wish to overcome current and future traffic problems. POMA solutions fit into city centres to offer complementary and intermodal transport that facilitates mobility.

Optimising and managing access to all peri-urban zones, connecting an isolated neighbourhood to the city centre: POMA’s solutions improve everyday life by providing an intelligent, reliable and sustainable solution that serves everyone. Municipalities that already have ropeway systems observe that this new, low-impact transport method is a key tool in their sustainable, inclusive and economic development.

Multimodality

Ropeway transport can be integrated into an efficient multimodal plan: ropeways or gondola lifts are connected to other transport methods (trams, buses, cycle lanes, etc.) or facilities (car parks, stations, etc.), sharing multimodal stations when the building allows it, or via connected structures. Users of ropeway routes that are integrated into the public transport network can make a complete multimodal journey with a single ticket.

Guaranteed

journey time

Urban ropeway transport operates within a completely separate space. By using the third dimension of the urban environment, it offers consistent journey times.

The total absence of interference from other types of traffic (pedestrian, road, rail) allows smoother and faster journeys, even at busy times. In contrast, the average service speed of traditional urban transport methods (cars, buses, taxis) is becoming slower every year.

Accessibility

To cater for diverse passenger types, the transport is made accessible to everyone and their equipment, such as pushchairs, bikes, suitcases with wheels, etc.

The platforms, carriers, and all elements of the user experience are designed around the needs of different passenger types, particularly people with reduced mobility. POMA works together with local users’ associations, particularly those for people with reduced mobility, to develop the best adapted facilities.

Safety

Given that the carriers cannot collide with one another or with any other form of transport, ropeways are the world’s safest transport method, after air transport (1.28 accidents per 100 million journeys). The cabins are even equipped with video-surveillance systems, intercoms and other communication systems.

The level of safety is comparable to that of air transport. For aerial trips over areas that cannot be accessed by the public (railway tracks, motorway junctions, rivers, etc.), the systems are configured with an additional emergency mode (“recovery” mode) allowing users to be returned to stations in all circumstances. Over more than 80 years, POMA’s ropeway transport systems have proven their reliability. Availability rates regularly exceed 99.5% on our urban ropeways configured for extreme weather conditions (wind, storms, etc.), which aligns them with the performances of interconnected modes.

Comfortable and

attractive for tourists

The design of the cabins provides ample room for passengers, seating, and reduced noise and vibration. The journey through the sky offers particularly pleasant views. A comfortable, quiet journey during which passengers can enjoy the scenery makes travelling attractive.

With cabins in the city’s colours and integration of stations into the urban landscape, there are distinct and characteristic urban choices for every line, creating an identifiable attraction for the city.

A light infrastructure

The installation of railways, bridges and other heavy infrastructures requires lengthy, complicated and costly work, whereas integrating overhead lines into the existing public transport network is quick and inexpensive.

POMA’s systems are easily integrated into dense urban environments, thanks to ultra-compact elevated stations requiring less than 25m² of ground space.
Similarly, the line structures (towers) can be configured to take up an average of 5m² on the ground, or spaced as in Toulouse, where just five are required for a 2.8 km route. This low land use makes the projects easier to integrate into the city. What’s more, implementation is very quick (12 to 24 months for most urban ropeway lines), thanks to the use of off-site pre-assembly techniques. This saves a considerable amount of time and reduces the duration of disturbances from works, keeping life in the neighbourhood pleasant. Gondola lift stations can provide a connection with a metro or bus station, and can be located in an existing building, for optimal urban integration.

Enhancing and

developing areas

Boosting the attractiveness of the area or allowing economic hubs to develop around the stations by optimising the available space… In the age of compact cities, ropeways free up land. They also increase the possibilities for creating connections between residents in different parts of the city and make the life of a neighbourhood more dynamic. The stations bring the area alive, attracting new local shops, redeveloped public spaces, parks, and sites dedicated to associations and culture.

Sustainable transport

This decarbonised, silent, 100% electric mode of transport is a perfect fit for the energy transition, because it requires just one motor to pull a whole line of carriers, and a single brake system, as well having as other systems to optimise its energy consumption. France’s Grenelle I Law has identified it as an effective alternative to help combat greenhouse gases.

Flexible

operation

Urban ropeways offer great operational flexibility (number and size of cabins, speed, frequency, etc.), which means the costs can be adjusted according to the requirements and constraints of each city. The maintenance is also financially advantageous, with checks being done at night, or at the same time as other essential operations for the cabins.

We have developed a range of digital solutions to assist with the operation and maintenance of the system.

11 key points

of urban ropeways

To summarise, the advantages of ropeways

for urban transport are:

• new possibilities for commuting and easing congestion in cities
• high transport capacities with a guaranteed journey time
• accessibility for people with reduced mobility, bikes and pushchairs
• overcoming urban obstacles (watercourses, motorways, railway lines or significant elevation changes)
• easy integration into existing transport networks and the landscape
• 100% electric transport that is decarbonised and has a reduced environmental impact thanks to its light infrastructure and short construction times

Urban Mobility

accorting to POMA

Wherever mobility, organisation of movement and development of community spaces are at the heart of the future of towns and cities, new projects are emerging. POMA won a tender for a magnificent ropeway system in its home city of Grenoble.

 

At POMA our experience sets us apart. Our technology has over 80 years of proven effectiveness, and has been installed in dense urban areas for forty years. We continue to innovate to offer increasingly environmentally friendly performance and to make our equipment less energy intensive. To do this, we are fortunate enough to be in a position to manage the entire production chain, as well as to operate many urban systems by promoting our Made in France ethos.

POMA Chairman

Fabien Felli
Transport par câble en ville

LET’S REACH FOR THE SKY, DISCOVER OUR NEW BROCHURE!

Our references around the world

in cities and metropolis

Santiago – Dominican Republic

Dominican Republic – Santiago de los caballeros – In progress

The Dominican government has set up the SITS (Santiago Integrated Transport System) to support urban development in the country’s second-largest city, Santiago de los Caballeros. A soft and sustainable mobility service accessible to all is at the heart of the project and will include a monorail, bicycles, electric buses and a nearly 4 km long…

Read

P Line – Metrocable

Colombia – Medellin – 2021

A social and economic link, Medellin’s Metrocable is the emblem of a city on the move. The 6th line of the metrocable took off in 2022 to extend its public transport network, serving sustainable and soft mobility

Read

Los Alcarrizos – Santo Domingo

Dominican Republic – Santo Domingo – 2022

The city of Santo Domingo inaugurates its new urban aerial tramway line, the fastest in the world. The monocable system criss-crosses the sky over a 4.2-km stretch and serves four stations, offering a perfect soft mobility solution between the city centre and the suburbs.

Read

Citadel of Namur gondola lift

Belgique – Namur – 2021

In Namur, Belgium, the ropeway connects the city centre to the Citadel Esplanade, flying over the river Sambre and the ramparts. Tourists and locals alike enjoy the experience of a silent trip with a breathtaking viewpoint. An ecological mode of travel, it blends harmoniously into its environment, by virtue of its modern architecture that respects…

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Aerovia

Equateur – Guayaquil – ongoing project

In order to improve the flow of daily traffic between Duran and Guayaquil, Ecuador’s economic capital, and offer an alternative solution for crossing the estuary, the local authorities have opted for ropeway transportation. Ecuador’s first urban gondola lift links Duran and Guayaquil, providing fast, smooth travel throughout the transport network for 40,000 passengers a day.

Read

Chiatura

Géorgie – Chiatura – 2020

To retrofit its urban overhead transport system, the city of Chiatura chose POMA. Four small urban ropeways, developed specifically to satisfy the needs in terms of capacity and the constraints regarding distances, have replaced some (very) old Russian ropeways.

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Tizi Ouzou

Algeria – Tizi Ouzou – 2019

POMA has developed a three-section aerial transport line with a total length of 5 km consisting of two gondola lifts and an aerial ropeway in Tizi Ouzou, a town located 100 km from Algiers.

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Airtram New York

USA – New York – 2010

With the installation of this ultra-modern aerial tramway, POMA has provided New Yorkers with the most advanced technology in urban ropeway transportation. It is 960 m long and connects Roosevelt Island to Manhattan in just three minutes, passing over the East River in great comfort with unique views of New York through the huge windows…

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Téléo

France – Toulouse – 2021

More than 8,000 passengers will board the cabins of the Téléo tricable ropeway every day. Part of the Toulouse Agglomeration’s transport network, it crosses a river and travels over a hill to link three major hubs of activity in the south of Toulouse: the University Cancer Institute, Rangueil Hospital and Paul Sabatier University.

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La Réunion

Réunion Island – Saint Denis – 2020

POMA built the first metrocable in the Indian Ocean in Saint Denis on Réunion Island. It provides safe, fast and quiet travel, connecting strategic neighbourhoods and delivering a better service to the island.

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Pereira Megacable

Colombia – Pereira – 2021

Pereira Megacable is the first urban gondola lift to be 100% integrated into the public transport system of the city of Pereira. It is also the first lift in the country to be equipped with a DirectDrive®.

Read

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