Most gondolas are there to take skiers up a mountain. However, one in Colorado does something different: it moves people between two towns throughout the day, for free. A 2016 study published in the Journal of Public Transportation actually lists this system, linking Telluride and Mountain Village, as one of those rare cases where the gondola actually functions as a real transportation system and not just a ski lift.
A lift built for skiers becomes a lifeline for two towns