Leitner Minimetro Relieves Commuter Traffic Congestion in Pisa
With the official opening of the MiniMetro PisaMover on 18 March 2017, Leitner is heralding a new, sustainable era of mobility. The 90,000-inhabitant city in Tuscany currently suffers from immensely high levels of traffic, with commuters, tourists and students doubling the population figure. However, a new age is dawning: PisaMover will relieve the Tuscan city of almost all commuter road traffic. In addition to this, the ropeway will play an important role in local transport and improve connections to the existing public bus network. The ropeway will take passengers from Galileo Galilei airport to the main train station in the city center in five minutes. Together with a new commuter car park and an improved network of bike paths, MiniMetro will reduce road traffic and make Pisa a more attractive and better place to live. The new MiniMetro in Pisa is the first ropeway of its kind equipped with the gearless drive system Leitner DirectDrive.
Congestion-Free Travel in Comfort with Leading-Edge Design
In Pisa, the route from the airport into the city center is particularly at risk of congestion. The PisaMover by Leitner ropeways will reduce flows of traffic on this critical route, shortening the travel time between Aeroporto Galileo Galilei at the southern outskirts of Pisa and Stazione Centrale to just five minutes. Each of the two trains consists of three connected cabins, and offers space for 107 passengers. Both the vehicles of the electrical MiniMetro and the stations were designed by Italian star architect Adolfo Natalini. The bogy on which the vehicles run is also a special new development: It was developed in cooperation with the University of Pisa and makes the ride particularly comfortable.
Innovative Public-Private-Partnership Project
As a result, PisaMover is another example of the successful use of urban ropeway installations from Leitner ropeways, sustainably solving complex traffic problems. Marco Filippeschi, Mayor of Pisa, is convinced of the new means of transportation’s advantages: “It is a model of innovative urban mobility that will have a positive impact on the entire city”. Behind this innovative installation is a joint public-private-partnership project of Leitner ropeways and Condotte d'Acqua S.p.A., one of Italy’s largest construction companies. In addition to planning and construction of the ropeway, the P3 project also entails operating the MiniMetro and the commuter car park at the midway station. The overall costs of the project totaled 72 million Euros, with 21 million provided by the EU, and the remainder by Leitner ropeways and Condotte d'Acqua S.p.A.. The two companies will operate the system and car park under a licensing arrangement for 33 years, after which everything will be transferred to the municipality of Pisa.
Silent and Economical
The new MiniMetro in Pisa is the first ropeway of its kind equipped with the gearless drive system Leitner DirectDrive. Its outstanding features include low consumption and emissions, as well as low noise levels. The green colored stations symbolize this aspect, which is so important for urban regions. The two vehicles shuttle back and forth, with each travelling on its own line. The entire ropeway is operated fully automatically and can be controlled flexibly. The operators expect to serve roughly two million passengers each year. From 2020 on, this figure is expected to increase to roughly 2.6 million.
New Infrastructure Concept with Commuter Car Park
The Park & Ride service is also to reduce road traffic in the city, with a commuter car park for 1,400 cars near the midway station. Situated close to an important and large highway exit, commuters from the region can park their car for €2.5 ($2.70) per day and travel to the city center conveniently in a few minutes with the PisaMover. It also benefits tourists by taking them to the train station or airport rapidly and inexpensively or letting them make the journey from the airport into the center in a few minutes. The ropeway is part of a comprehensive infrastructure concept: A new network of bike paths was built, pedestrian walkways were improved, new rotaries were added and a dangerous railroad crossing was removed.
