A proposed aerial tram linking downtown San Diego with Balboa Park would cost between $65 million and $75 million to construct, according to a consultants’ report issued by San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG).
Consultants at Parsons Brinckerhoff said the small footprint of stations and support towers for a tramway that would operate up to 85 feet above ground level, on a two-mile corridor along Sixth Avenue, would allow major infrastructure to be “integrated sensitively” into the existing corridor environment.
Support towers could be placed within the existing public street right-of-way with minimal or no loss of on-street parking, the report said. Consultants estimated potential ridership between 3,000 and 4,000 daily, averaging 751,000 to 1.1 million annually, including local commuters and tourists.
Depending on pricing, that level of ridership would generate annual revenue between $1.9 million and $4.9 million. Operations and maintenance costs are estimated between $2.6 million and $2.8 million.
Funding options include local improvement districts, public-private partnerships, and state and federal grants. Issues related to designated historic districts at Balboa Park and the Gaslamp Quarter would need to be addressed, and additional analysis and engineering would be required to develop the concept.
The county of San Diego last year approved Supervisor Ron Roberts’ proposal to study the feasibility of establishing an aerial gondola system linking Balboa Park with a site near the Gaslamp Quarter. Supervisors allocated $75,000 from the regional Neighborhood Reinvestment Program to have SANDAG conduct the feasibility study.
County and SANDAG officials will discuss the results at future meetings.
