Soaring into the Future: Bolivia’s Sky-High Transit Solution

Transportation • May 30, 2025

Last edited: August 17, 2025

La Paz, Bolivia: High above the winding hills and bustling streets of La Paz, Bolivia, commuters glide silently through the sky—not in airplanes, but in aerial cable cars. At first glance, aerial cable cars may seem like unlikely candidates for public transportation in large cities; they are more often found above snow-covered ski slopes than in an urban landscape. However, not for the millions of residents in La Paz and its neighboring city, El Alto.

For decades, traffic congestion caused by steep and narrow roads has made traveling between the two cities a challenge. In response, many commuters now rely on Mi Teleférico, the innovative aerial cable car system connecting the two cities. By leveraging the region’s geography instead of fighting against it, Mi Teleférico has created an efficient, accessible, eco-friendly, and economically beneficial public transport system.

A one-of-a-kind system

The mountainous terrain of La Paz and El Alto presents a unique challenge for infrastructure: nestled between the hills of the Andes, the three million residents of the two cities are separated by an altitude difference of around 500 meters. Yet traffic between them is necessary, since La Paz is the seat of the Bolivian government, and El Alto is a manufacturing hub. 

By the early 2010s, commuters made over 350,000 daily journeys between the two cities, with the number increasing in recent years. To address the increasing travel demand, Mi Teleférico, an aerial cable car network linking the two cities, began operation in May 2014. By 2020, ten lines had opened, with 36 stations and about 30 kilometers of track. Mi Teleférico is currently the longest and highest urban cable car system in the world.

Commuting in the clouds

Before Mi Teleférico, transport between La Paz and El Alto relied on the minibus, which could carry up to fifteen people at once but usually took one hour to travel between the two cities (and up to 90 minutes in traffic). Many commuters often criticized the minibuses for being dirty and overcrowded. 

Since the region’s geography restricted highway expansion, alternate travel options were limited. City planners also discovered that conventional rapid transit systems like subways were impractical due to rapid elevation changes. Aiming to address these concerns, Bolivians looked up to the sky—and they found their ultimate solution in Mi Teleférico.

Mi Teleférico has outranked the minibus system in essentially every category, from speed to comfort. The aerial cable cars accommodate up to ten passengers each, and they travel at speeds of up to 18 kilometers per hour. There are virtually no wait times, as the aerial cable cars depart every twelve seconds. Most notably, the aerial cable cars have cut commute times between La Paz and El Alto from over an hour to less than twenty minutes. 

Designed by the Austrian transport manufacturer Doppelmayr, the aerial cable cars also have advanced safety mechanisms like emergency brakes, and they are built to withstand earthquakes and high winds. These features offer riders a more enjoyable commuting experience, all while reducing the number of minibuses on the road and occupying minimal space on the ground.

Additional advantages

Mi Teleférico combats transport poverty as well. Around 35 percent of city residents live below the poverty line, but at just three bolivianos (US$0.43) per ride, tickets for the cable car are highly affordable, costing less than a cup of coffee! By linking together many lower-income neighborhoods across the two cities, Mi Teleférico expands accessibility for thousands of city residents, young and old.

Mi Teleférico’s innovative approach to public transportation also minimizes air and noise pollution. In a 2023 study by the European Geosciences Union, gas emissions from automobiles accounted for around 25 to 35 percent of air pollution between La Paz and El Alto. Such emissions pose health hazards for residents living near highly-trafficked, narrow streets, and car horns or engine noises disrupt daily life. By using electricity as opposed to gasoline, Mi Teleférico presents a quieter and environmentally-friendly alternative that addresses both noise and air pollution in the two cities.

Mi Teleférico has distinguished itself from other urban rapid transit networks by its significant financial success. The construction costs are expected to be fully covered by its revenue after just 25 years of operation—well ahead of its original schedule. 

The aerial cable cars source profit not only from passengers but from commercial income as well. The cable car stations double as community hubs, with free internet, retail space, and billboard rentals. This business model has proven to be highly cost-effective: in 2018 alone, the aerial cable cars generated an operating surplus of around 39 million bolivianos (US$5,800,000), thus providing an additional source of revenue for the Bolivian government to reinvest in new infrastructure projects.

With its efficiency, accessibility, and economic benefits, Mi Teleférico has received universal acclaim from journalists to engineers. The North American Congress on Latin America describes the cable car network as “a symbol of integration, breaking down social, economic, and geographic barriers…,” emphasizing its contributions to improving mobility and commerce between La Paz and El Alto. The New York Times praises the system as “a modern and technological wonder” that has reshaped how residents of La Paz and El Alto interact. Therefore, it is undeniable that aerial cable car systems like Mi Teleférico should be implemented in other mountainous cities worldwide. 

The future of aerial cable cars

One city that could benefit from an aerial cable car network is Kigali, Rwanda. With a poverty rate of about 27 percent, this mountainous city has a population of nearly two million, which is comparable to that of La Paz and El Alto. Constructing underground transit systems in the city can pose huge financial and geological challenges for the government, but an aerial cable car network like Mi Teleférico offers a relatively inexpensive and viable alternative.

Cusco, Peru, a South American city of comparable size, is another suitable candidate for aerial cable cars. With its population of around half a million people, the city experiences influxes of tourists during the summer months due to its proximity to Machu Picchu and other Incan ruins. Since aerial cable cars function as both a transit system and a tourist attraction, building a Mi Teleférico-style system can benefit the city’s tourism economy and improve mobility for local residents.

As Bolivia and many other developing countries continue to rapidly urbanize, relying solely on traditional public transport systems like buses or subways is no longer sufficient. The success of Mi Teleférico highlights how innovative technology like aerial cable cars provides a reliable and sustainable solution for keeping up with commuter trends, especially in geographically challenging cities. 

If cities are to enjoy efficient and accessible futures, they must be willing to think above—and beyond—the ground. ■

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