Brest urban Cableway
About this good practice
The first urban cable car in France, this 420-metre link opened in November 2016, connects the new Capucins eco-district to the city centre of Brest by spanning the Penfeld, the coastal river that crosses the city.
It brings an innovative solution to the need for accessibility and attractiveness of this changing neighbourhood, previously occupied by military workshops, and now three minutes from the heart of the city.
The Brest urban cable offers an ecological alternative to traditional modes of transport.
The project aims to integrate the eco-district on the right bank of Brest and to renew the attractiveness of this part of the city.
The eco-district has a diversified housing offer which provides a social mix representation: 50% of the housing stock is available through free ownership, 25% are subsidised rental units and the remaining 25% are available at an affordable cost.
The Brest urban cableway is an integral part of the public transport network. It is very practical because avoids bypassing the city and brings the eco-district “Capuchins” closer to the city centre.
Main stakeholders: Brest Métropole.
Beneficiaries: Population of the metropolis and in particular the Capucins quarter inhabitants and tourists.
Resources needed
Total expenditure of the ERDF project: 12.085.000 €
Evidence of success
The urban cableway car helps to change the image of the city of Brest, for its inhabitants and tourists. It has become a tourist attraction in this rebuilt city after the war.
Users benefit from a magnificent view of the city, the arsenal and the harbour.
The urban cableway is pretty and busy: 2000 trips per day, on average.
Potential for learning or transfer
This cableway was the first set in an urban area.
At very first, the technology was not yet proven for a very windy urban area. Today the technology is proven and the potential for transferability exists.