Gondolas from South Lake Union to Capitol Hill? Seattle transit activist makes eyebrow-raising suggestion
Mar 17, 2025, 7:59 AM
Can Seattle implement gondola technology for transit between South Lake Union and Capitol Hill. (Photo courtesy of the Associated Press)
(Photo courtesy of the Associated Press)
A transit activist with the Seattle Transit Blog offered an eyebrow-raising idea that pops up every couple of years: gondola service. This time, it would connect South Lake Union and Capitol Hill in Seattle.
“With Link running mostly north to south, what’s the best way to serve neighborhoods to the west and east of the line? The highways (I-5, SR 99 …) run north/south, too, and Seattle’s hills get in the way. Gondola technology might be a good way to address this issue,” contributor Martin Pagel wrote.
Though gondolas are traditionally slow, Pagel said it’s not an issue because east-west trips “are usually short.” He cited a similar, and much-maligned, proposal from more than a decade ago.
“Connecting the recently-renovated waterfront and Seattle Center’s cultural opportunities with the SLU tech centers and housing and Capitol Hill nightlife should be part of the mayor’s and Chamber’s plan to revitalize downtown Seattle and make it more attractive to tourism,” Pagel concluded.
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The history of gondola proposals in Seattle
The idea of using gondola technology for transit in Seattle has been discussed for well over a decade.
One notable proposal is the West Seattle SkyLink, which suggested using gondola technology to connect West Seattle and the SoDo area. Proponents argued that gondolas could be a cost-effective and quicker alternative to light rail expansion. But a 2022 feasibility study by Sound Transit said it’s not really possible thanks to “significant technical limitations.”
“Sound Transit continues to agree with our previous analysis that gondolas/aerial trams are not an appropriate regional high-capacity transit technology ‘because they operate on a local circulation level, lack regional applications, and each application would require new supporting facilities and services,'” the report said.
Kirkland also considered the idea to address anticipated growth and alleviate congestion on I-405, but the project has not come to fruition.
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