High-Speed Rail is the Tim Tebow of Florida Transportation

[FayeforCure]

$30 dollars to do what Amtrak can/could/and DOES DO for $10 dollars. Ten bucks is the Amtrak coach fare Orlando - Tampa, hey and you can leave from downtown and arrive in downtown.

Connectus says the fare would be $20, without the hassle of frequent stops.

Certainly doable for a family of four, if they won't need a car at destination.

For example when I visited Amsterdam in Jan., I decided not to rent a car, cause I didn't need a car for the week I was there.

I had to pay the equivalent of $30 for myself and three kids ( btw local students travel free), which is more than a one day car rental at $50 ( if you rent a car for a week), when I went to visit my parents who live 130 miles from Amsterdam. I was glad to pay the $120.

It was the convenience of being able to read a magazine, not polluting the environment, and not being stuck in traffic jams, that made it an easy decision.

And mind you, I always travel with my son Jason, who uses a wheelchair, and it was a breeze.

[thelakelander]

Certainly doable for a family of four, if they won't need a car at destination.

For the next few decades, that's a BIG IF.  A project this costly, should not have to rely on "ifs" that large to be successful.  $240 for a round trip ticket (family of four) to save 30 minutes of travel is no drop in the bucket.  Especially, if the fare to get to the same destination is $10/ticket on Amtrak.  If on vacation, the difference in time saved isn't as big as the difference in cost.

[CS Foltz]

lake I agree! There are just too many "IF's" to suit me and nothing concrete or fixed in place!

[tufsu1]

$30 dollars to do what Amtrak can/could/and DOES DO for $10 dollars. Ten bucks is the Amtrak coach fare Orlando - Tampa, hey and you can leave from downtown and arrive in downtown.

OCKLAWAHA

sure...but Amtrak charges based on demand...some routes make $ while most lose $

The Philly to Baltimore route is about the same distance and it costs $30+ each way on the regular northeast corridor trains (the Acela line is even more)...difference being it is a relatively high quality service that is fairly quick.

So it sems to me that if Amtrak upgraded their service and people used it, the $10 fare would likely go up substantially.

[thelakelander]

It would still be hard to imagine them out pricing their perspective market with a fare in the same range as the competing HSR corridor.  What does Amtrak charge for a round trip from LA to San Diego?

[Ocklawaha]

It would still be hard to imagine them out pricing their perspective market with a fare in the same range as the competing HSR corridor.  What does Amtrak charge for a round trip from LA to San Diego?

$29 dollars full fare not discounted. BUT, California has discounts for darn near anybody. tufsu1 intra-state fares have always been low in Florida, maybe it's the "vacationland" ?

OCKLAWAHA

[CS Foltz]

I heard "Mouseville" will provide all visitors a coupon for a reduced rate to enter Mickey's! They did not say anything about a reduced fare rate for travel on HSR system!

[CS Foltz]

That was a shoot from the hip responce guy's and not for real information! However I would not put it past the Mouse's pr people to do something like that!

[tufsu1]

Ok...now that Disney is on-board, maybe you can call it Mickey's train!

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/tourism/orl-high-speed-disney-100209,0,3720794.story

[Lunican]

Now, this sounds almost perfect â€" so naturally there’s a problem. In this case, it’s that the train to Orlando doesn’t actually go to Orlando. It goes to the airport. Now, Orlando has a very busy airport so this proposed route would certainly be of interest to many Floridians and tourists. But this also means it’s a glorified airport shuttle rather than a real intercity rail link, of the sort that civilized people elsewhere in the would want and demand.

http://www.infrastructurist.com/2009/09/25/will-florida-be-americas-shining-example-that-21st-century-rail-can-work/

[CS Foltz]

Lunican..........this has been my contention from the getgo! If Mickey wants to build a railroad then let them do it! HSR should not be just an airport feeder to Mickeyville! It should be a viable for real people moving system that is cost effective. Now if it is a private enterprise that is one thing but we are trying to use Federal Funds for something that is an area system and not statewide! This is a problem with me since my tax dollars are funding this projected system and I would really like to get the most for my money!

[FayeforCure]

Lunican..........this has been my contention from the getgo! If Mickey wants to build a railroad then let them do it! HSR should not be just an airport feeder to Mickeyville! It should be a viable for real people moving system that is cost effective. Now if it is a private enterprise that is one thing but we are trying to use Federal Funds for something that is an area system and not statewide! This is a problem with me since my tax dollars are funding this projected system and I would really like to get the most for my money!

Would you mind letting the readers know what industry you work for, so we may determine how you might be biased? BTW tourists are real people too, and taking them off our roads benefits us all.

Everyone knows my own background as an economist and educator.

[thelakelander]

Tourist are people, but what's not known is how many will be willing to spend an extra $20 - $30 one way/person to get to Tampa or Orlando 30 minutes faster.  Actually, you probably won't save any time because you'll spend thirty minutes in Orlando getting out of the airport and driving back to town. 

What also has not been answered if tourist would really care if it were high speed rail or a conventional intercity rail service serving this corridor.  This is big because to save 30 minutes you're willing to increase the burden on the taxpayer from a few hundred million to a couple of billion to provide this service.

I know as a tourist, I've never had a problem with a train in a city like DC, NYC, Dallas, Boston, Philly, etc. being set up to serve everyone (tourists and residents).  I can't imagine it being any different in Florida.

[Ocklawaha]

MOUSE!

OCKLAWAHA

[CS Foltz]

Faye.........I was in the telecommunications industry until "voluntarily terminated"! That was the Company's label not mine (Took exception to being forced to drive for 24 hrs on my time to get to the Project work area which is in Ks/Mo, was supposed to be back working in Jacksonville when T Mobile started up again, they hired 3 people to replace me even though I did not get 3 person's salary) Been doing that for about 20 yrs..........I have a A&P card with an inspectors endorsement....pretty hot and heavy on corperate class aircraft with warbird experience on lots of WWII medium bombers and fighters. Have known about MJ for quite sometime but was more inclined to participate on the JOL Forum. Both have advantages.....transit issue's appeal to me from a cost point of view and the ability of transit systems to move large numbers of people around to me is a no brain er! We just don't have anything of any large size for use. Tourist or Resident matters not to me but to have the options does........we don't have anything period! Light rail would be a boon for downtown Jacksonville but other than an overpriced Skyway system...........nothing going on and not even on the horizon and that does bother me............lack of vision and planning on the part of the current Administration and past ones!