8. The Roosevelt Island Tram was the First Aerial Tramway in North America Used for Commuter Transit

The Roosevelt Island Tram was originally opened in 1976, and is labeled as the oldest aerial tramway to be used for mass transit in North America. Prior to its construction, aerial tramways were already in use in other parts of the world for transit. The trams in Hong Kong and Gibraltar eventually inspired the use of cable cars in the United States.

The first cable cars carrying people in the United States were mostly used on mountains and at ski resorts. It wasn’t until New York City constructed its tramway from Roosevelt Island that an aerial tramway was used for a commuter’s purpose.