Mexico City Aerial ‘Cablebus’ Provides Key Connection to Peripheral Neighborhoods

Unlike many aerial gondolas, Mexico City’s Cablebus is largely used by commuters and residents from communities farther from the city center.

2 minute read

October 14, 2024, 6:00 AM PDT

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


View of colorful dense buildings in Mexico City from aerial cable car.

View from Mexico City's Cablebus aerial tram. | Davslens Photography / Adobe Stock

A three-year-old aerial cable car system is transforming Mexico City’s transportation network and making the trip into the central city faster and easier for people living in peripheral neighborhoods. 

As Alex Vasquez explains in Bloomberg CityLab, “The Cablebus system has more than halved trips that used to take an hour and a half by bus or taxi, according to Mexico City's Mobility Ministry. In the sprawling megacity of some 22 million people, faster connections were needed for residents living far from the center and the major subway lines.”

Unlike many other aerial tram systems around the world, Mexico City’s system primarily serves residents in far-flung neighborhoods rather than tourists, “Most of the systems, like the ones in Medellin or in Caracas, Venezuela, move between 15,000 and 40,000 people a day; the Cablebus moves between 70,000 and 80,000 people a day.”

Residents perceive the Cablebus as safer than the city’s other transit options such as the subway system, where the city has created women-only cars to create safer spaces for women travelers, “Gisela Mendez, founder of urban development consultancy Ensamble Urbano, said that situations of harassment and violence against women are considerably reduced on the Cablebus compared to other transport systems.” For people whose work gives them less traditional schedules, the Cablebus’s round-the-clock schedule is also more convenient than buses or trains, whose services are concentrated around typical rush hours.

Thursday, October 10, 2024 in Bloomberg CityLab

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

6 hours ago - Diana Ionescu

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Person wearing mask walking through temporary outdoor dining setup lined with bistro lights at dusk in New York City.

Restaurant Patios Were a Pandemic Win — Why Were They so Hard to Keep?

Social distancing requirements and changes in travel patterns prompted cities to pilot new uses for street and sidewalk space. Then it got complicated.

June 19, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Aerial view of new neifhborhood under construction with enpty lots in foreground.

In California Battle of Housing vs. Environment, Housing Just Won

A new state law significantly limits the power of CEQA, an environmental review law that served as a powerful tool for blocking new development.

7 hours ago - CALmatters

Low-rise Pearl Sreet mall in Boulfer, Colorado.

Boulder Eliminates Parking Minimums Citywide

Officials estimate the cost of building a single underground parking space at up to $100,000.

July 2 - Boulder Reporting Lab

Two-story buildings with porches in walkable Florida neighborhood.

Orange County, Florida Adopts Largest US “Sprawl Repair” Code

The ‘Orange Code’ seeks to rectify decades of sprawl-inducing, car-oriented development.

July 2 - CNU Public Square