Georgetown might get a gondola to Rosslyn
DC transportation is a shit show, but this could help
Going to Georgetown, you know all too well how annoying transportation can be. There isn’t a metro stop in Georgetown, and there probably won’t ever be one. You have to get on a GUTS bus just to have access to a metro stop, and the trains are stuck or broken or on fire every other week. So, you generally resort to Uber-ing everywhere, which takes a toll on your bite-sized pocket.
Photo: Georgetown Business Improvement District
However, the Georgetown Business Improvement District recently released a study on Thursday which asserts the feasibility of a Gondola between Georgetown and Rosslyn. Though the plan for the gondola is in no way finalised, the study highlights economic and transit benefits.
How it will work
Aerial gondolas, with 8 to 12 person capacity, will circulate between Rosslyn and Georgetown taking roughly four minutes, and arriving every 20 to 60 seconds. While the station locations are yet to be established, it is highly likely the Georgetown stop will be around M street. Transit systems of this type aren’t novel, they have been implemented around the world in countries such as Germany and Singapore.
Photo: Georgetown Business Improvement District
Because of the high travel demand, ridership of the Rosslyn-Georgetown Gondola is estimated to be between 6,000 and 15,000 daily trips. Ultimately, the gondola will serve to provide users with a multi-modal transit system, which means it will work in conjunction with the Metro system.
There will likely be a direct transfer from the gondola to Rosslyn’s metro station, and the estimated fare is $1.75 during off-peak hours and $2.15 during peak hours for the gondola trip.
The gondola is going to make everything easier
The Georgetown-Rosslyn gondolas aim to cut down transit time. On a typical weekday, 15,000 trips are made across the Potomac, but the Gondola will be significantly faster than all other methods. While it takes about 6 to 20 minutes to use a GUTS bus to cross the bridge, including traffic, the gondola will only take four minutes.
Photo: Georgetown Business Improvement District
In 2013, a $26 billion metro upgrade, set to be completed in 2040, which included a tunnel between Rosslyn and Georgetown, was proposed. But the gondola proposal would only take about two years to build. Construction itself would cost $80 – $90 million, and about $3.25 million for annual maintenance.
The gondola foresees economic growth for the neighbourhood, by attracting more shoppers, restaurant customers, and hotel guests.