ECATEPEC DE MORELOS, Mexico — For years, the worst part of Marco Antonio Martinez’s grueling commute was the short stretch between his home in this densely populated suburb and the main road to downtown Mexico City.
He would catch a small, beat-up bus that would inch its way down narrow streets, crawling through intersections clogged by the region’s infamous traffic.
The 1-mile leg routinely took more than 30 minutes, made all the worse by nagging fears of on-board muggings — a sadly common hazard.But 17 months ago, Martinez and thousands of other harried commuters here received what felt like a gift from on high. Now, Martinez glides above the angry clamor in an aerial gondola, bypassing the gridlock in a trip that takes just seven minutes, as he gazes at the buses below.
But 17 months ago, Martinez and thousands of other harried commuters here received what felt like a gift from on high. Now, Martinez glides above the angry clamor in an aerial gondola, bypassing the gridlock in a trip that takes just seven minutes, as he gazes at the buses below.
Known as the Mexicable, the 3-mile, $90 million gondola system opened to great fanfare in late 2016, an ambitious effort to improve public transportation in this suburb of more than 1.6 million. Initially met with some doubts, it has since provided more than 5.5 million rides, with about 20,000 passenger trips on a typical weekday. It has also drawn praise for giving low-income workers better access to public transportation.
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