Prep Work Has Begun for New Direct Ramp to Disney Springs Garage

[The Visionary Soul]

Something like this could work

Not when you have to deal with the Federal Highway Standards... there's not enough room there to merge.

 

[Slowjack]

From my limited driving experience around there, it seems like a major problem right now is people getting off I-4 at 535 and having to quickly get from the right lane to the left to make the turn onto Hotel Plaza Boulevard; so with this, all those people would be guided to the new exit, which should help a dangerous traffic situation. I have to say, this news really drives home how different this area is going to be. From the days of the original Disney Village, it's quite a journey the area has taken if we're going to end up with a direct freeway injection into a parking deck.

 

[WDW1974]

Sorry, Mr. Alien Kitty Claws, I am not excited by the prospect of losing more trees and greenbelt for yet more concrete and roadways. This may be needed, but if it is, it is based upon poor decisions made in the past.

 

[nor'easter]

Sorry, Mr. Alien Kitty Claws, I am not excited by the prospect of losing more trees and greenbelt for yet more concrete and roadways. This may be needed, but if it is, it is based upon poor decisions made in the past.

Took the words right out of my mouth. The Disney World resort used to have a green park atmosphere throughout. It is now crisscrossed by freeway-like traffic. A far cry from the transportation vision of Walt Disney.

 

[DBF John]

Not when you have to deal with the Federal Highway Standards... there's not enough room there to merge.

Well then maybe they'll have to increase capacity on BS ln. and Overpass rd. or add a clover leaf off BVD

 

[dstrawn9889]

dont want Cloverleaf there, then there will be nothing but 'Eight lanes of shimmering cement running from here to Pasadena. Smooth, safe, fast. Traffic jams will be a thing of the past.' Doom is the sole stockholder

 

[WDW1974]

Took the words right out of my mouth. The Disney World resort used to have a green park atmosphere throughout. It is now crisscrossed by freeway-like traffic. A far cry from the transportation vision of Walt Disney.

Exactly.

And everywhere you look, they are developing ... whether it's Disney spending millions to put in roadways and other infrastructure for a non-existent development like Dead Flamingo Crossing or others putting in 'cheap' housing directly behind the MK off of Reams Rd ...

I'd love to know where all the trees and sense you were apart from the 'real world' have gone.

WDW is overbuilt, overcrowded and undermaintained.

 

[WDWDad13]

Exactly.

And everywhere you look, they are developing ... whether it's Disney spending millions to put in roadways and other infrastructure for a non-existent development like Dead Flamingo Crossing or others putting in 'cheap' housing directly behind the MK off of Reams Rd ...

I'd love to know where all the trees and sense you were apart from the 'real world' have gone.

WDW is overbuilt, overcrowded and undermaintained.

WDW itself isn't overbuilt...at all... Orlando and the areas around WDW are overbuilt...and we can thank the popularity of WDW along with Uni and SeaWorld in close proximity of each other as well

WDW is overcrowded... I agree... so what should they do? Build a 5th park? Expand all of their parks? Enable better traffic flow (like they are doing in MK now)? Hope Uni takes some of the crowds from WDW (they are going to have an overcrowding problem much worse than WDW with everything so contained) or just continue raising ticket prices so the crowds may go down a little?

it's interesting so many complain about the lack of maintenance and how wdw is going down the toilet and then the next day so many complain about it being overcrowded

 

[rioriz]

I'm all for anything to relieve the traffic headache around that area! I don't by the poor planning stuff at all mainly due to changing times and culture. Our culture has changed much in the last 20 years such as the increase in population in that area. People are less patient and we are only turning more into a "I want it now" society.

So WDW is overbuilt? then I guess that's why they haven't built many new attractions the last decade? You can't put a blanket "overbuilt" and "overcrowded" on the resort as a whole. This and any other investments in infrastructure are necessary in planning for the future!

 

[jrh1985]

What about the marketplace deck?
Also, the people coming from Tampa and inside WDW? How will they get to the decks?

Why is the ramp going to the westside deck? I would think the marketplace deck would be more busy/need the ramp.

 

[71jason]

What about the marketplace deck?
Also, the people coming from Tampa and inside WDW? How will they get to the decks?

I'm certain there will be an entrance available to Hotel Plaza Blvd. as well, so access will remain the same, just into a garage instead of a parking lot. I can't think of a parking garage in central Florida without at least two entrances.

 

[71jason]

Took the words right out of my mouth. The Disney World resort used to have a green park atmosphere throughout. It is now crisscrossed by freeway-like traffic. A far cry from the transportation vision of Walt Disney.

Magic Kingdom was built as a one-day park with two hotels. On a busy day, maybe 30,000 people? You can't move a quarter-million people around without stoplights and highways.

Would I prefer monorails everywhere? Of course. But I also prefer cutting through a swath of greenery that only TDO middle-managers see if it means it won't take me 2 hours to drive 0.5 miles on 535.

 

[marni1971]

One note. It isn't a direct ramp. There will still be signals to cross LBV drive.

Last time I checked, access is only from westbound I4. Exit is only onto westbound I4.

 

[wdwmagic]

This work is for drainage and a retention pond. Nothing will start on the ramp until the final phase, with work starting around late 2015.

 

[mm121]

I drew a yellow line in the place described. It's really the only viable option for a ramp.

This would seem right, this photo also shows what i've been looking for a photo of that i swore i saw, where they are taking the south bound buena vista drive traffic underground to allow a direct left turn heading east/north.

if they were smart they'd run this direct ramp under buena vista drive to elimate the stoplights, as the stoplights cause a possible risk of the traffic backing up on the ramp, which would be bad bad bad from a safety standpoint.

It is great that they are adding the ramp to DS parking garage, but it would be a heck of a lot better if they also had a direct ramp out! With all of traffic lights and traffic that are is very congested throughout the afternoon into early evening. Reminds me of Manhattan not WDW and it will probably get worse after Disney Spring is completed.

i haven't ever gotten into a traffic jam on the way out the biggest issues are getting in especially during busy times in the evening, and it can be hightly frustrating if your trying to meet people or make it to a dinner reservation. leaving is usually a slower paced less rush rush experience

I would assume that as well, but if that drawing is correct, there can't be.

The ramp as drawn does not directly connect into I-4 at all. To use it you would have to exit I-4 onto 535 N and then make a U-turn at the light at Hotel Plaza Blvd. You would then take the on ramp to I-4 W and then onto the new off ramp.

connecting to the ramp is a direct connection.. if they tried to connect anywhere else it would involve completely redoing i-4/widening etc, i know theres a plan for that with adding express lanes etc but thats a state/federal project a few years down the road that disney doesn't control.

Ummm...what?

This is an extension of the current 536/Epcot Center Dr. exit ramp. That mockup is pretty much exactly how it will be constructed. Believe me, I use this exit several times a week.

EDIT: If you're referring to traffic coming up the Eastbound side of I-4, then yes, there's no direct connection, but the vast majority of traffic using that entrance is from Westbound I-4. Just taking the majority of that traffic away from the ECD/Buena Vista Dr. intersection will make things easier for those using the ECD exit from I-4E.

reducing the westbound traffic also benefits by helping the eastbound traffic as it shortens stoplight times, and if they do the plan as shown that elimates the stoplight at "the gateway" at least part of the way.

I'm venturing into Speculationland- the worst DtD traffic is at exit 68/Vineland road. This is 'mostly' traffic headed Westbound on I-4. The 'intention' is to move that traffic from the HIGHLY congested 'crossroads' area (with it's many lights, merging traffic, etc) further down the road to a dedicated exit ramp. This ramp is strictly for Westbound traffic headed Into DtD. Eastbound would just get off at exit 65 as they do now.

edit: I see your confusion- My yellow line is connected to a westbound exit ramp OFF of I-4 ONTO 536 (Epcot Center Drive)

the worst traffic is definitely vineland along with hotel plaza blvd as hotel plaza blvd is only 4 lanes compared to buena vistas 6 lanes.

Agreed. Anything that alleviates some of the traffic on 535 will help. I don't see how an "exit" ramp (back to I4East) is feasible here, but at least it helps solve one problem.

I'm sure theres ways, but the more they mess with the ramps then the costlier things get and the more they wish to build around the actual interstate requires more and more aprovals from both the state and the feds.

From my limited driving experience around there, it seems like a major problem right now is people getting off I-4 at 535 and having to quickly get from the right lane to the left to make the turn onto Hotel Plaza Boulevard; so with this, all those people would be guided to the new exit, which should help a dangerous traffic situation. I have to say, this news really drives home how different this area is going to be. From the days of the original Disney Village, it's quite a journey the area has taken if we're going to end up with a direct freeway injection into a parking deck.

its definitely more of a uni approach, but with this major expansion of springs its highly needed.

I'm all for anything to relieve the traffic headache around that area! I don't by the poor planning stuff at all mainly due to changing times and culture. Our culture has changed much in the last 20 years such as the increase in population in that area. People are less patient and we are only turning more into a "I want it now" society.

So WDW is overbuilt? then I guess that's why they haven't built many new attractions the last decade? You can't put a blanket "overbuilt" and "overcrowded" on the resort as a whole. This and any other investments in infrastructure are necessary in planning for the future!

definitely agree that its not really poor planning at least initially, yes some of these things have been an issue for years and years, but least they are fixing them now because if they didn't it wouldn't matter how much they spent fixing the parking problems if you can't get to the parking decks.

and i definitely disagree with whoever said wdw is overbuilt. the resort itself really isn't, its just become alot more obvious where the lines of disney property vs non disney property are now that the surrounding land is getting filled up with non disney developments.

What about the marketplace deck?
Also, the people coming from Tampa and inside WDW? How will they get to the decks?

Why is the ramp going to the westside deck? I would think the marketplace deck would be more busy/need the ramp.

if your coming from the west the most logical thing to do is to get off at epcot center drive and then simply exit onto buena vista drive, which according to this photo will then have a direct left turn into the marketplace garage. or a stoplight connection into the west side garage.

I'm certain there will be an entrance available to Hotel Plaza Blvd. as well, so access will remain the same, just into a garage instead of a parking lot. I can't think of a parking garage in central Florida without at least two entrances.

from the sketches it appears that the entrances to the garages will be on one side with the exits on the opposite side enabling a giant circular rotation of traffic with as few intersection within the complex as possible.

One note. It isn't a direct ramp. There will still be signals to cross LBV drive.

Last time I checked, access is only from westbound I4. Exit is only onto westbound I4.

if they were smart they'd run this ramp down under buena vista in similar fashion to has been shown for buena vista going under the entrance drives by "the gateway" for busses, etc.

they haven't really specified but the most needed connection is from westbound i-4, as eastbound i-4 already has decent connection alternatives to the mess that is hotel plaza blvd by utilizing epcot center drive to buena vista

 

[mm121]

This work is for drainage and a retention pond. Nothing will start on the ramp until the final phase, with work starting around late 2015.

logically they'd do this as quick as is feasible, since there going to need it before they can even attempt to build the tunnel for westbound buena vista drive traffic go for the gateway.

The area I"m talking about is circled in purple

does anyone know what the buildings circled in blue are? looks like theres possibly some type of walkway above buena vista drive.

 

[The Visionary Soul]

One note. It isn't a direct ramp. There will still be signals to cross LBV drive.

Last time I checked, access is only from westbound I4. Exit is only onto westbound I4.

Marni, that was the plan, but it has changed. This ramp will go over Buena Vista Drive and connect to one of the upper floors of the parking garage.
There is no direct exit to I-4. This is only for incoming traffic.

 

[mm121]

Marni, that was the plan, but it has changed. This ramp will go over Buena Vista Drive and connect to one of the upper floors of the parking garage.
There is no direct exit to I-4. This is only for incoming traffic.

over stinks... definitely not nearly as visually appealing as going under would be.

 

[71jason]

i haven't ever gotten into a traffic jam on the way out the biggest issues are getting in especially during busy times in the evening, and it can be hightly frustrating if your trying to meet people or make it to a dinner reservation. leaving is usually a slower paced less rush rush experience

I agree, traffic coming in is a bigger hassle than traffic going out, even if the latter has also resulted in traffic jams. Incoming traffic has more of an effect on the other roads as well (535 and by extension even I4).

 

[ryguy]

I drew a yellow line in the place described. It's really the only viable option for a ramp.

Hey thanks for taking the time to do this!