Medellín’s Metrocable

Status
ongoing
50%
City

Medellín

Main actors

City Government, Private Sector, Community / Citizen Group

Project area

Whole City/Administrative Region

Duration

Ongoing since 2004

An integrated and inclusive transport system to reduce marginalization of poor communities.

In 2004, the City of Medellín opened the first cable propelled transit (CPT) line as part of the integrated urban development programme. The CPT lines directly connect to stations on the central metro line of Medellín and provide residents with increased opportunities to employment, education and social activities.  Together with interventions to upgrade infrastructure and services for these neighbourhoods, the government is reducing the marginalization of these communities. Moreover, the project has provided for investments in a public library, kindergartens, public space and sports facilities.

Originally published by the International Community of Practice for Sustainable Urban Development CONNECTIVE CITIES: https://www.connective-cities.net/en/good-practice-details/gutepraktik/medellins-metrocable-1/

Sustainable Development Goals

End poverty in all its forms everywhereEnsure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for allPromote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for allBuild resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovationReduce inequality within and among countriesMake cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainablePromote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels

Sustainable Transport Award

This project was awarded the 'Sustainable Transport Award' in 2012.

City
Medellín, Colombia
Size and population development
The city of Medellín covers a surface area of 376,4 km2 With a population of 2,427,129 inhabitants (2018). It is the capital of the Antioquia Department and is the second biggest city of Colombia. Its metropolitan area, the Valle de Aburrá, is home to 3.9 million people, which makes it the second biggest to Bogotá.
Population composition
The 2018 DANE census data shows that the population comprises 53% females and 47% males. 71.2% of Medellín residents are aged between 15-64, 10.9% are aged 64 and over and 18% of residents are children below the age of 15. 61.3% were born in the city, 38% in other parts of Colombia and 0.3% in another country. The ethnographic makeup of the city is: Mezitzo or White 94.4%, Afro-Colombian or Afro-descendant 6,5% and Indigenous Amerindians 0.1% Roman Catholicism is the dominant religion in Medellín and all of Colombia.
Main functions
Medellín, officially Municipality of Medellín, is the second largest city in Colombia and the capital of the department of Antioquia. The city is located in the Aburrá Valley, a central region of the Andes Mountains, at an elevation of 1,500 metres.
Main industries / business
Medellín is one of Colombia's main economic centres. Its economy is led by the Grupo Empresarial Antioqueño (Antioquian Enterprises Group). This group has an aggregate market capitalization of approximately US $17 billion and employs more than 80,000 Colombians. Medellín's main economic products are steel, textiles, tourism, agriculture, public services, chemical products, pharmaceuticals and refined oil. The city serves as headquarters for many national and multinational companies.
Sources for city budget
The City of Medellín draws its budget for public expenditure from taxes, fees, fines, operating revenues and subsidies from the national government of Colombia. Low tax rates mean social and economic development policies have been funded by the city's ownership of the main energy supplier, Empresas Publicas de Medellín (EPM); 30% of its profits go directly to the city's administrative budget.
Political structure
Medellín is a city governed by a republican democratic system with a decentralized government. The government of the city of Medellín is divided into executive and legislative branches. Administration is shared by the Mayor and the Municipal Council, both elected by popular vote. The municipality belongs to the Medellín Metropolitan which is made up of ten neighbouring municipalities.
Administrative structure
The municipality is divided into six zones: The urban zone, which is subdivided into 16 comunas (communes). The communes are further divided into 249 statistical barrios (neighbourhoods). The remaining zones outside the urban zones comprise five corregimientos (townships).
Website
http://www.medellin.gov.co

The city of Medellín stretches from a narrow valley to vast areas on hilly slopes. These hills are home to under-developed neighbourhoods which traditionally could not be reached by public transportation. These areas are characterized by the poverty of their inhabitants, unemployment, physical and social marginalization, limited access to public services and often have high rates of crime and violence rates.

Equal access to mobility is one of the most important objectives in Medellín's urban development planning together with improving the city’s ecosystem and connecting leisure and sports facilities with the new green belt.

The Medellin government commenced implementing the integrated urban projects (PUI) in 2003. The government actively involves the affected population in planning and implementation of all projects. Inter-institutional cooperation promotes the planning and development of comprehensive concepts, meanwhile known as “Social Urbanism”.

The first metrocable Line K (2.07km) commenced operating in 2004. It has 4 stations with an estimated 3,000 pphpd (passengers per hour per direction)

In 2008 Line J (2.7km) was opened with four stations.

In 2011, the metro system was complemented by Metroplus, (Bus-Rapid-Transit). Its large, energy-saving buses use separate bus lanes, similar to a metro or tram and connects with stations used by the metrocable.

Line L (4.8km) does not serve communal areas, it is a tourist line only. Passengers must pay an extra fare to ride this line.

Line H (1.4km) opened in 2016 and has three stations. The demand is estimated at 1,800 pphpd.

Line M (1.0km) faced a number of delays related to complicated geological/structural issues and opened in late 2018. From its bottom station to its top station passengers experience a vertical rise of 275metres.

Line P (2.8km) will open in late 2019. Line P will feature upgrades from the previous aerial lifts. The maximum speeds on the 2line have been upped by 1 m/s (3.6km/h) to 5.5 m/s (19.8km/h) and the system capacity has increased by 1,000 pphpd to 4,000 pphpd, spread over 138 cabins. With a travel time of 11 minutes, the system is expected to decrease commute times by 75% and benefit 420,000 residents who live in some of the most disconnected and disadvantaged neighbourhoods. The system will have four stations spread out in the community to maximize coverage and benefits to residents.

The lead agency for the project is the city government of Medellin. Line P budget is $ 99,000,000USD

With six CPT lines in operation by the end of 2019, Medellin will have built 14.7km of cable cars spread over 20 stations — making it the world’s second largest CPT network.

The combined ridership of Line K, Line J, Line L and Line H in 2018 have totalled 241 million passengers while Line K and Line J operate with an availability of 99.09 – 99.90%!

Integration to Medellín’s public transport system through the cable car increases comfort and reduces expenditures on time and costs. Particularly low-income customers save money because they pay per ride, independently from the distance travelled.

The Civic Card, a rechargeable swipe card, reduces waiting time as commuters can pay for their rides in advance.

Introducing the Metrocable and connecting marginalized areas to the city was the starting point for a physical and social transformation of Medellín and its communities. A process of mutual respect was established, contributing to a greater sense of belonging. The formerly excluded population of the informal neighbourhoods are now more integrated in the city’s social, economic and political life. This means they can also participate in the decision-making of future urban development projects. Meanwhile, the newly connected neighborhoods have undergone a sense of urban renewal noticeably: Local businesses have settled, and crime rates have decreased.

The experience in Medellín inspired Caracas (Venezuela's capital city) to build their own Metrocable.  More information about the experience in Caracas is available here:  https://use.metropolis.org/case-studies/the-caracas-metrocable

 

- Medellín’s Metrocable – Mobility as Fundamental Factor of Integrated and Inclusive Urban Development, http://www.connective-cities.net/en/connect/good-practices/medellins-metrocable/ (accessed 25 February 2016).

External links / documents

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Want to know more about this project?

Medellín, Colombia

Andrés Fernandez

Individual | Public Relationship
Connective Cities
Bonn, Germany

Connective Cities

Institution | International Community of Practice for Sustainable Urban Develop­ment

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