URBAN GONDOLAS, aerial ropeways and PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION: PAST MISTAKES and future strategies Ryan O"Connor and Steven Dale present a subjective opinion on the current situation and future possibilities of the urban gondola market. Paper explores,,industry specific" obstacles and solutions to sustainable growth in the UPT market from an urban planners perspective.
URBAN GONDOLAS, aerial ropeways and PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION: PAST MISTAKES and future strategies Ryan O"Connor and Steven Dale present a subjective opinion on the current situation and future possibilities of the urban gondola market. Paper explores,,industry specific" obstacles and solutions to sustainable growth in the UPT market from an urban planners perspective.
URBAN GONDOLAS, aerial ropeways and PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION: PAST MISTAKES and future strategies Ryan O"Connor and Steven Dale present a subjective opinion on the current situation and future possibilities of the urban gondola market. Paper explores,,industry specific" obstacles and solutions to sustainable growth in the UPT market from an urban planners perspective.
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION: PAST MISTAKES AND FUTURE STRATEGIES Ryan OConnor and Steven Dale Overview Introduction Scope and purpose of paper Current UPT and urban gondola market Three industry specific hurdles The urban disconnect Chasing the wrong installations Resistance to change Conclusions Questions / comments Author profiles Ryan OConnor BRP hons., PGCertBus, GNZPI Presenter Town Planning Consultant based in Wellington, New Zealand Steven Dale Hons. B.A., B.Urb. Creative Urban Projects (CUP) based in Toronto, Canada Creator of The Gondola Project website Two urban planners with previous involvement with the ropeway industry, urban transport proposals and research
Scope and purpose of paper Paper does not research the merits of urban gondolas that has been done before Explores industry specific obstacles and solutions to sustainable growth in the UPT market from an urban planners perspective Focuses on detachable aerial ropeways (urban gondolas) Designed to stimulate debate by presenting a subjective opinion on the current situation and future possibilities of the urban gondola market
Current UPT and urban gondola market Urban gondolas are now competitive with more traditional UPT technologies yet are still rarely considered a viable alternative The industry is selling more ropeways to the urban market than ever before - why change the current strategy? Success should be measured against market opportunities as opposed to moderate increases in sales Different issues exist in the urban market, thus different strategies are required to capture it Growth in urban ropeway installations 0 1 2 3 4 5 1 9 9 7 1 9 9 8 1 9 9 9 2 0 0 0 2 0 0 1 2 0 0 2 2 0 0 3 2 0 0 4 2 0 0 6 2 0 0 7 2 0 0 8 2 0 0 9 2 0 1 0 2 0 1 1 Current UPT and urban gondola market Urbanization presents favorable demographic and economic trends for the UPT market There are significant opportunities for urban gondolas in dense urban environments The industry is well positioned to capture growth, but there are risks of not taking proactive steps A strategic approach is required to ensure favorable positioning translates into success Mistake 1: The Urban Disconnect The UPT market is complex and considerably different than the tourist / winter market A particular problem is poor access to accurate and up-to-date information for industry outsiders Urban professionals and the public are ill- informed of the technologies capabilities Rubbish in, rubbish out phenomena The urban disconnect continues
Example: CTV News These images were used to explain what an urban gondola is on prime-time news. In this case, a prime marketing opportunity for the technology turned out to be both detrimental and counterproductive. Mistake 2: Chasing the wrong installations Procurement in the UPT market is considerably different than the tourist / winter market Opening, qualifying and closing sales leads demanding and costly Expect to field increased queries and propositions from UPT market Prioritizing resources is essential Is the existing sales model is suitably equipped for the UPT market?
Mistake 3: Resistance to change Sustaining vs. disruptive technologies The industry has triumphed at innovation when required in the tourist / winter market, but not so much the UPT market Paper specifies potential innovations of benefit Risk of not innovating, someone else will! Example: High Speed Rail and Chinese innovation Overview of Solutions Paper highlights 15 specific solutions tackling two core areas: Better addressing the underlying structure that takes the product to the market - providing accurate and effective information to the right people Technology and system design could benefit from targeted innovation specific to UPT
Some of the key solutions... Participate in the research process. Fund or assist in high-quality research and ensure that it spreads throughout the urban/transport planning community. Use education and due diligence processes as a tool to identify and prioritize sound urban gondola opportunities while ignoring those unlikely to be realized. Identify system characteristics that require innovation for the UPT market and invest in research and development in those core areas.
Conclusions The industry has thrived the tourist / winter market it has innovated when faced with difficult challenges The future for the industry in the UPT market appears promising and lucrative Strategies tailored to the UPT market are required Manufacturers are well placed, but a proactive and strategic approach will ensure success
Lastly.... Thank you to the International Organization for Transportation by Rope (O.I.T.A.F) for providing us the opportunity to present this paper to you today!
Questions.... Do not hesitate to approach Steven or myself (Ryan) at the Congress to discuss any points in further detail Or contact us by email at - ryan@planningservices.co.nz steven@creativeurbanprojects.com