I think integrating the gondola with ETS makes a lot of sense for convenience, but yeah, it needs to also stand on its own. The risk factor is too higher for public money. And as long as the deal is well structured to protect the city and river valley, idk why you would fight it.
Puneeta had a great take on the recent IDEA podcast where she talked about how she was meeting with a big investment manager guy who oversees hundreds of millions and she asked what it would take to get more money in Edmonton. His response? “Do cool shit”. So basically she was like, ok. If that’s the attitude of these big players with cash, we need to start thinking like that. How do we put Edmonton on the map?
I think this is something that could. But it’s definitely a risk and will be interesting to see if it works out.
The way Vancouver has integrated ferries into their transit system gives me hope. It’s a unique mode, but works due to the geography. I think we have a similar case here.