High Speed Rail: A No-Brainer

JeffreyS · October 15, 2009, 08:47:03 AM

Another Article
Rail system no Mickey Mouse project
http://www.dailycommercial.com/opinion/story/101109-edit-rr

buckethead · October 17, 2009, 11:33:12 AM

That reads like something written by a Disney employee.

CS Foltz · October 18, 2009, 08:03:30 AM

buckethead......I concur! Maybe now that we have the great and human employer "Ratville" involved we can get something going.........only problem is still in the middle of the state and just a feeder system for Mouseville and it is not anything all of us can use..............unless we drive down there! So where is the advatange to that?

tufsu1 · October 18, 2009, 09:28:15 AM

I'm sorry that you won't be able to use it...but over 5 Florida residents (Tampa Bay-Lakeland-Orlando) will!

buckethead · October 18, 2009, 09:32:17 AM

Quote from: tufsu1 on October 18, 2009, 09:28:15 AM
I'm sorry that you won't be able to use it...but over 5 Florida residents (Tampa Bay-Lakeland-Orlando) will!

It will make a fun trip from the airport to Disney!

What'll the fares be though? 20 bucks a pop or the free bus service?... hmmm, decisions decisions....

charlestondxman · October 18, 2009, 11:29:10 AM

That train is just designed for the tourists from other states to get to Disney World. Many people think that Disney stirs the drink in the Orlando area, so that's why they had such priority on the train.

CS Foltz · October 18, 2009, 11:50:36 AM

tufsu1 got no problem with somewhere using my tax dollars for their benefit. I have a problem with all of a sudden Mouseville is entering the picture using my money to further their long range plans! Nice to know that we can help them out since they are in such a need. HSR is something that should benefit the whole state not just a private enterprise that just happened to make enough money to buy Marvel Enterprises at 2.5 Billion dollars. that was cold hard cash by the way, no stock was involved. So the new feeder system for Mouseville comes out of my money and that does not make me happy! Nice we get some construction jobs out of it and maybe some operating jobs but that system will have to be supported with my money since no system is truly self sufficient is this not correct?

buckethead · October 18, 2009, 11:54:49 AM

And why was Disney allowed to buy Marvel Comics? Do Anti-trust laws not apply to amusement parks?

JeffreyS · October 18, 2009, 01:32:47 PM

The problem is connect 4 or 5 stops over seventy to eighty miles for the money or connect all of the state with higher speed Amtrak. The Amtrak plan also helps with it's own feeder system by providing much of the infrastructure improvements needed for the state's commuter rail projects. BTW the Amtrak plan includes Orlando that HSR bypasses (except airport, Disney and possibly one other outskirts stop Disney might allow).

buckethead · October 18, 2009, 04:29:27 PM

I can't view a rail system that does not include a Disney station as feasable.

tufsu1 · October 18, 2009, 08:10:08 PM

Quote from: CS Foltz on October 18, 2009, 11:50:36 AM
I have a problem with all of a sudden Mouseville is entering the picture using my money to further their long range plans!

Did you ever stop to think about how much tax revenue Disney brings to Florida...so why shouldn't they get some benefit from the state too?

JeffreyS · October 18, 2009, 09:37:49 PM

Disney should certainly have a stop but Orlando should have a stop or three also. The line should not just be airport, Disney and with Disney's tolerance the convention center.

CS Foltz · October 19, 2009, 03:47:23 PM

tufsu1............I can not ague that point! Mouseville does deserve a stop also, but not at the expense of the rest of the region! A feeder system that goes from OIA to Mouseville with no stops is just a plain and simple feeder period! They already have the "Magical Experience" going on right? So if they keep what they have and add to it from OIA then they are reaping the benefit of any light rail system that goes in there and not the area! The people who could use it, not withstanding $30 for a oneway ride, not only could not afford it but it won't go to where it needs to go! The whole purpose of installing a system there is to relieve the congestion on I-4 and have a people moving system that can be used by that area. The Blue dot's showed 3 stops and the Red dot's showed either 8 or 9. Neither system connected with the other sooooo........what is going on there is two seperate systems that do not connect, but both end up at Mouseville? I still question that area for a test of true HSR which is needed to showcase just what can take place!

tufsu1 · October 19, 2009, 04:46:13 PM

Quote from: CS Foltz on October 19, 2009, 03:47:23 PM
tufsu1............I can not ague that point! Mouseville does deserve a stop also, but not at the expense of the rest of the region! A feeder system that goes from OIA to Mouseville with no stops is just a plain and simple feeder period!

Which is why the route that Disney originally wanted that did just that was not chosen....the preferred route includes a stop at the Convention Center/I-Drive on its way from I-Drive to Disney and beyond.

FayeforCure · October 22, 2009, 09:46:18 AM

Since Stephen Dare hasn't gotten an answer from Mica on his (lack) of support on Amtrak, it was good to read a clear description of Mica's position on HSR:

QuoteU.S. Rep. John Mica, a Winter Park Republican and the ranking minority member of the House Transportation Committee, does not contribute much with his sweeping criticisms. Mica insists that high-speed rail needs a fixed local distribution system â€" such as light rail or a monorail â€" to work. This sounds more like sour grapes from a leading proponent of the flawed SunRail commuter rail proposal for Central Florida. Mica is wrong to link the two.

High-speed rail does need a local feeder system. But there is time and there are other options, such as expanding local bus service, to craft a system that works. To her credit, U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor, a Tampa Democrat, sees the bigger picture. There is momentum at the local level for commuter rail in both Central Florida and the Tampa Bay area, and the focus needs to be on not wasting this opportunity to secure federal stimulus dollars.

Mica's correct that having an established track record or even plans for local rail would help Florida's application. It would give the federal government a comfort level in subsidizing an even more ambitious high-speed system. But local rail is not a prerequisite. What federal policymakers are eager to see are a region's unified front, a thoughtful business model and a bang for the federal buck that can extend for years.

Mica can serve his state better by joining the congressional delegation to make Florida's application as strong as possible. And if members can help make the numbers work for local rail projects, too, so much the better. Both would be appropriate responses to a recent Palm Beach Post analysis that found that Florida so far has received fewer stimulus funds per capita than any other state.

But to disparage the state's high-speed rail chances before an application is even submitted is definitely not in Florida's interest.

http://www.tampabay.com/opinion/editorials/article1016536.ece