MEXICO: Cable Car Commutes to Mexico City's Suburbs

Mexico City's metropolitan area, known as the Valley of Mexico (Valle de México), is massive, covering an area of about 9,000 square kilometers (3,500 square miles). 

With a population of more than 21 million people, it’s one of the largest urban areas in the world.

With such a large population, a sprawling urban layout, and steep, hilly neighborhoods, getting around can be a real challenge.

That’s where the city's cable cars come in.

 

The cable cars were introduced to make transportation easier and more efficient in under-served neighbourhoods with poor road infrastructure. These neighbourhoods are called "dorm cities" because with long commutes some of the residents merely go home to sleep and then get up to repeat the arduous transportation process early the next day.

The cable cars offer a faster and more reliable way to move around, especially for residents in hilly or hard-to-reach neighbourhoods.

The first cable car in Mexico City was introduced in 2016. The 3^rd cable car, the most recent, opened in September 2024.The second one received a Guinness World Record for being the longest public transit cable car route.

High up in the cable car you get a bird’s-eye view of Mexico City’s colorful neighborhoods.

Rooftop murals were developed to compliment the cable car commutes.

Some murals cover building walls with colorful designs.

 

 

Many of these murals are part of community-led art projects organized by neighborhood or cultural organizations that want to transform public spaces and create a sense of identity and pride.

 

 

In some cases, the murals are funded through local government initiatives designed to revitalize neighborhoods and encourage tourism.

 

 

 

 

Taking local transit gives another perspective on Mexico City.

Riding high up in the cable car gives an idea how enormous the city is and how challenging commuting would be on a daily basis.