Branson, Missouri, the Live Entertainment Capital of the Midwest, is one of the most popular visitor destinations in the United States. Some people tend to picture live bluegrass shows when they think of Branson, but bluegrass isn’t the reason Branson is such a hotspot. Branson continues to draw visitors year after year because they are creative and innovative, and continue to come up with new ideas that engage both the community and the visitors. One of these innovative new ideas could possibly give everyone a new view of Branson – from a gondola car!
Anyone who has been to Branson during peak summer season knows that traffic can be a real challenge – and having a gondola system up in the air could help alleviate this issue, plus draw in a whole new crowd of visitors for the experience. Jeff Green, American Gondola President, recently presented the idea of a mass transit gondola system to be funded by private investors to the Branson Board of Aldermen. These cable propelled aerial lifts can travel between 10 and 15 miles per hour, and would offer passengers a 360-degree view of Branson. Jeff Green estimated in his presentation that the gondola system could move 3,000 people back and forth in an hour. Eight people could fit into each car at a time. This gondola system could cross much of Branson, and provide quick and easy transportation to tourists and locals alike. This project would cost an estimated $130 million, and would be funded by private investors.
American Gondola has suggested ten terminals along the proposed route spaced from the Branson Landing to Silver Dollar City. These ten terminals would provide a variety of stops for riders to enjoy at convenient locations. The company also suggested a proposed maintenance terminal that could hold up to 200 of the fully enclosed gondola cars to be located near the underdeveloped space around the Tanger Outlet Mall. This unique Branson gondola system has the potential to be relatively eco-friendly, since the system would be entirely electric with diesel generators and a hand crank for backup in case of an emergency.
Green told the Branson Board of Aldermen in his presentation that the gondola line has the potential to create 50 to 60 full time jobs for the city. The gondola cars would be ADA accessible and would operate ten and a half months out of the year. If the project moves forward, it will take between eighteen months and two years to complete. Many people are excited for this potential transportation system, especially because the city is already seeking aesthetic and traffic improvements for Highway 76 – Branson’s main drag – and the gondola system would fit right in!
Branson never hesitates to be creative and innovative – be sure to watch the local news for the latest information on the gondola project!
