Cable cars are usually thought of as a tourist activity, offering a fun and sociable experience with bird’s eye views of the city or countryside below. But one enterprising New Yorker has been asking why tourists should have all the fun.

Daniel Levy, president of CityRealty in New York City, is pushing for a rethink of the way we use the skies. His proposals for an urban gondola, dubbed East River Skyway to connect Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens, are not just aimed at tourists, but at residents and commuters too.

“Given the exciting growth in Brooklyn and Queens, it is essential to adapt New York City’s transportation system to serve residents in these booming areas,” said Levy, who is founder and president of East River Skyway.

The high-speed, zero-emissions aerial gondola would serve around 5,000 passengers per hour in each direction, cross the East River in under four minutes, and reduce a Brooklyn-Manhattan commute time by up to 30 minutes, East River Skyway’s statement says.

Cities like Singapore, Taipei, London and Rio de Janeiro have embraced the cable car, which can transport large volumes of people. These systems are also relatively cheap to build and are environmentally friendly.

If Levy can market his Skyway as a viable alternative for commuters, he could help change the face of transportation in the city. Brooklyn’s expanding population has long put pressure on the public transport system, with the notoriously crowded L train handling a 50 per cent increase in passengers since 2007, and running over capacity since 2012.

“Cities around the globe are recognising the viability and efficiency of urban gondolas to overcome serious transportation challenges,” he said. “An aerial transportation system would be a relatively inexpensive and quickly deployable solution here in New York.”

Steven Dale, president of Creative Urban Projects and Cable Car Consultants, an advisor on the Skyway said: “New York City is a natural fit for cable transit systems given its severe topographical challenges. New gondola technology would be an effective means to address the ever-increasing traffic in Manhattan, Brooklyn and perhaps even farther afield.”