Lisbon's Newest Public Transportation Project Is an Elevator

In 2017, the Portuguese capital is set to gain an unusual new piece of public transit infrastructure. It’s not a metro or streetcar line or even a bike-share scheme, but an elevator burrowed into one of its hillsides.

The elevator, to be run by the city’s transit authority, will run from the quayside of the River Tagus up the steep slope to the city’s cathedral, located on a hillside overlooking the bay. The concept is that it will help people navigate the topographical rigors of central Lisbon, which is shaped like a very steep-sided bowl, with sides scaled by staircases and switchback streets. This terrain greatly enhances the city’s beauty, but it also strains the calves, slows people down and can even have the effect of encouraging locals to avoid certain areas because they can’t be bothered with the climb. A new cruise ship terminal is due to be opened in the next few years along the quayside, and given that many cruise ship passengers are older, the elevator could also motivate them to go deeper into the city to sightsee and shop.