The Economist wrote about the boom in Latin American cable cars:

• As a mode of public transportation cable cars don’t cause the disruption that other public works projects – like subways or bus lanes – typically do.
• They’re quick to build which means that politicians that authorize them are typically around long enough for the ribbon cutting – and the subsequent electoral rewards.
• They’re particularly popular in Latin America’s more mountainous terrain where cable cars are an ideal form of transportation.
• Thieves are more likely to strike in public buses -they typically leave cable cars alone.
• And the more intimate nature of cable cars – two benches facing each other – helps encourage conversation and build community.

Read more in The Economist.