California Trail @ Oakland Zoo #1

Buldeo · 2 Nov 2014

Taken 19 October 2014

Another banner erected opposite the giraffe enclosure. This one has some of the same concept art from the website, but offers one new detail -- a gondola will carry visitors from the main zoo up the hill to the California Trail.

The new gondola station will be erected here on this spot opposite the giraffes. No word yet on whether or not there\'ll be walking path option.

Falcosparverius · 3 Nov 2014

Buldeo said:
Taken 19 October 2014
No word yet on whether or not there\'ll be walking path option.

There probably will not be a walking path since it would have to be made ADA accessible up at least a half mile climb, which I find is the major flaw in the construction of this large scale exhibit. I believe that the exhibit is not designed to be built directly adjacent to the current zoo property because of conflicts with conservationists and the rare wildlife and chaparral landscape inhabiting the plot of land directly uphill from the property.

snowleopard · 3 Nov 2014

The gondola ride is a major concern for families with young children and large strollers in terms of taking up space on one of the contraptions. I'm always in favour of walking at zoos, which makes a necessary gondola ride a major flaw in my opinion. For example: Binder Park Zoo, in the state of Michigan, has a ride to its terrific African zone but having to unload the contents of a stroller to take the ride was a nightmare when I visited with my family in 2010. Maryland Zoo also has the option of a ride to the main part of the zoo but I preferred to take the long walk when I visited there in 2010.

The layout of the exhibits and the video that was released earlier this year make the California Trail complex seem exceptional, but if the only way to access that part of the zoo is via the gondola ride then that leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. I wonder if the ride will be free?

Buldeo · 6 Nov 2014

snowleopard said:
The gondola ride is a major concern for families with young children and large strollers in terms of taking up space on one of the contraptions. I'm always in favour of walking at zoos, which makes a necessary gondola ride a major flaw in my opinion. For example: Binder Park Zoo, in the state of Michigan, has a ride to its terrific African zone but having to unload the contents of a stroller to take the ride was a nightmare when I visited with my family in 2010. Maryland Zoo also has the option of a ride to the main part of the zoo but I preferred to take the long walk when I visited there in 2010.

The layout of the exhibits and the video that was released earlier this year make the California Trail complex seem exceptional, but if the only way to access that part of the zoo is via the gondola ride then that leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. I wonder if the ride will be free?

Fun fact: Oakland Zoo currently has a gondola system in place (three bucks a ride), but each lift has a max capacity of 340 lbs. So you wouldn't even be able to ride together if they repurposed the current system. Fortunately, it actually looks like they'll be using actual alpine-like gondolas based on this concept render*.

It should be easier to maneuver strollers in and out of one of those, but I still wonder about the overall rider capacity.

* - That Interperative Center would be far more interesting if it were done in the Arts & Crafts style common to Northern California. Think Disneyland's Grand Californian.

Here's an old article from Oakland North, and a more recent one from Oakland Magazine.

The TL;DR explanation: Zoo iz bad. Save our "natural" parks/open space/whatever.

Falcosparverius said:
There probably will not be a walking path since it would have to be made ADA accessible up at least a half mile climb, which I find is the major flaw in the construction of this large scale exhibit. I believe that the exhibit is not designed to be built directly adjacent to the current zoo property because of conflicts with conservationists and the rare wildlife and chaparral landscape inhabiting the plot of land directly uphill from the property.

Probably not, but there will have to be some sort of vehicular/pedestrian access for basic services; i.e., veterinary, facilities maintenance, emergency access, etc. They could conceivably build something along the same route and blend it into the overall exhibit.

California Trail @ Oakland Zoo #1

Buldeo

Falcosparverius

snowleopard

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