Trampe: Norwegian Bicycle Escalator

Trondheim, the third-largest city in Norway, has a very high percentage of bike riders compared to the rest of the country, something to which they ascribe partially to the "Trampe," a 130-meter bicycle "lift" that takes cyclers up the steepest incline in town. Riders activate the Trampe with a keycard. A small metal plate comes up from the ground, on which a rider rests their right foot, putting their weight on the plate as it pushes them up the hill.

Since launching in 1993, the Trampe has given 220,000 rides up the hill with no injuries.

Project Page [Trampe.no] (Thanks, Marilyn!

[#1 posted by Anonymous , October 29, 2007 8:21 AM]

Alas, one more good idea that will never see the light of day in the US. The cost would be prohibitive thanks to our ever-litigious society and the lawyers that are ever so willing to help...

[#2 posted by Scuba SM , October 29, 2007 9:18 AM]

I love the idea, but I can only imagine the string of lawsuits if one was built in the US.

[#3 posted by Anonymous , October 29, 2007 10:18 AM]

I'd say the reason for many bicycle riders in Trondheim is due to 1/4 of the city population being students at NTNU, the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, the largest technical university in Norway.

On the other hand, being an alumni from NTNU,
I saw in my time there quite a few mothers balancing with their kiddie-strollers up the lift. Now that is an interesting balancing act!

[#4 posted by Halloween Jack , October 29, 2007 11:42 AM]

Yep. Skateboarders would take it to the top and then try to skate down to the bottom, and it would shut down the first time a kid broke his neck doing something stupid.

[#5 posted by Anonymous , October 29, 2007 3:54 PM]

http://www.rocketboom.com/vlog/rb_07_jan_22

[#6 posted by mrfitz , March 16, 2008 12:52 AM]

brought to you by Exxon Mobil, the same people who say that we are not ready for an electric vehicle