Matt Rubin passed along an update of this fabled cycling technology from Slate:
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The residents of Brubakken Hill, in the Norwegian city of Trondheim … in 1993 were blessed with Trampe: a bicycle escalator that pushes riders up the hill without requiring them to dismount.
To use the escalator, a cyclist rides up to the station at the bottom and places her right foot on a small footplate sticking up from the slot running along the curb. The plate then moves all the way up the hill, lifting the rider along with it. There are multiple footplates, spaced every 66 feet to allow up to six cyclists to use Trampe at the same time.
Trampe is the world’s first and, thus far, only bicycle escalator. In 2013 it was refurbished by a French cable-supported transport company named SKIRAIL and rebranded as a CycloCable.
The company says it is optimistic about being contracted to install bike escalators in cities around Europe, USA, Canada, and East Asia, but so far a lack of money devoted to bicycle infrastructure has kept the market from taking off. The CycloCable costs about $2,800 per meter to install, and can handle ascents of up to 500 meters (1,640 feet).
Referenced here for New West (and North Van)
http://www.newwestnewsleader.com/opinion/258343431.html
Thanks Gord,
I am visiting the lift this summer in Trondheim with the goal of installing one in the City of North Van!
Cheers,
Darrell
Hi Darrell,
Are you also looking at bike share with ebikes as an alternative to the lift? There are several ebike shares in Europe now and maybe elsewhere.
I’d be interested in discussing bike share. So many opportunities now with developments across North Van. Park Royal is interested in setting up a station too.
Another approach is to have the bikeways go along routes up the hill that are very gradual. They might be longer but will be less effort to get up the hill. In most cities those tend to be the old primary streets as horses with carts, trams and early automobiles found it hard to get up hills too.