$1Mil per Mile

[devoy1701]

According to the information here, there are 1.85 billion outstanding shares at $21.93 each. (That doesn't include shares repurchased by the company.)

If I've done the math right, half of those would set you back a mere 20 billion, 285 million buckeroos, or about 1/3 of a Bill Gates.

will you take a personal check?

 

[Fade_to_Blah]

It costs more than that to build a highway:

http://www-pam.usc.edu/volume2/v2i1a3s2.html

According to this article it can cost up to $1 billion/mile to build a highway in Boston.

Thats cause quite a bit of the highways in Boston go in tunnels under downtown and Boston harbor.

And the corrupt politicians.

 

[hardcard]

Regardless of personal opinion on the costs killing the possibility of the monorail expansion, keep in mind that they were indeed set for expansion (massive expansion) being in 2002, except for the fact that some moron plowed a bunch of 747's into large buildings and killed the tourism market and the economy slowed for a while...


Same situation we are in now, but for different reasons.. So I wouldn't expect it soon.. I would be pleasently surprised though..

 

[Wilt Dasney]

will you take a personal check?

Absolutely...made out to "Mr. Dasney, Genyoowine Disney Stock Holder Guy (SRSLY)" with photocopies of 2 forms of ID attached will be fine.

Your shares will be wired to a portfolio attached to your bank account, whose number should be printed clearly on the front of the check.

 

[hack2112]

I think the million dollar per mile number was used in the Modern Marvels on
WDW for the original construction cost in 1971 dollars.

You, sir are correct.

It roughly $1,000,000 per mile in 1971. Today, it would cost roughly $5,245,061.73 per mile.

 

[trr1]

just a fyi and is a km shorter than a mile?​

[SIZE=+1]Basics - page five of five[/SIZE]
[SIZE=+3]How much does Monorail cost?[/SIZE]​

This is the number one question we receive at The Monorail Society. Unfortunately there is no simple answer. There are many variables which influence the price of building a monorail system (and most forms of rail transit). Factors include...​

• Total length of the system: In many cases, costs can be reduced the longer a system is.
• Topography: Is the terrain flat or hilly, are there many roads or rivers to cross?
• Location: What is the access for construction equipment? Will there be heavy traffic or other impediments to construction?
• Utilities: Relocation of water mains, power lines, telephone lines, etc. can have a significant effect on cost increases.
• Land: What amount of land needs to be purchased or easements need to be acquired?
• Passenger requirements: What size and number of vehicles are required? How much time will they wait at stations?
• Speed: What are the speed requirements of the system? Are there long enough distances between stations so that a higher speed is desired?
• Number of Stations: Each additional station adds to the cost.
• Special Structures: Will tunnels, bridges, overpass reconstruction or urban structures be a factor?
• Geotechnical conditions: What are the subsurface conditions? They can have a major impact on foundation costs.
• Environmental Mitigation: Will restoration, wildlife protection or sound walls be required?

No matter what the cost of building one is, monorail has the one of the best chances of all transit modes of turning a profit. This said, we are publishing the following approximate cost figures of various monorail/monobeam systems (manufacturers listed alphabetically). The list is by no means complete. If you have additional information or corrections, please contact us at monorailsociety@comcast.net. If you are looking for more accurate cost figures for a specific alignment, the most accurate information should be obtained directly from the manufacturer or a monorail-knowledgeable consultant (one that won't just try to sell you light or heavy rail). See our Manufacturer Page for contact information.

System type Cost/Year Info Source System Status
Hitachi
$15 million/km
1964​

Tokyo-Haneda Monorail
Operating
Hitachi
$62 million/km
1985​

Kitakyushu Monorail
Operating
VSL-
(refurbished Mark IV trains)
$25 million/mile
1995

MGM-Bally's Monorail
Replaced with Bombardier system

Hitachi
$27 million/km
$44 million/mile
2003

Okinawa Monorail
Operating

Kuala Lumpur
MTrans
$36 million/km
2003

Kuala Lumpur Monorail
Operating

Bombardier MVI
$88 million/mile
2004

Las Vegas Monorail
(7 stations/4 miles)
Operating

Hitachi$73.4 million/km
2006

Palm Jumeirah MonorailOpens
2009

Metrail
$20 million/km


2008
Metrail
Contracted

Rowin/Urbanaut
$10.3 million/km
2008


Rowin
Construction (2008)

Scomi
$30.75 million/km
2008
Mumbai Monorail
(Rites Ltd.)
Construction (2008)​

Disclaimer: The above figures were calculated by extrapolating information in the public domain. We encourage manufacturers and consultants to provide us with corrected cost estimates if any of our numbers appear to be incorrect. As stated above, the number one question posed to us is "How much does monorail cost?" This information is vital for those proposing or planning a transit system. Contact us at monorailsociety@comcast.net with information or requests for corrections. Thank you!​

 

[Maerj]

To cut down on the operating costs, would it be possible to have an awning structure built over the entire length of the monorail track and have it covered with solar collectors? Inital costs would be high but in the long run it could be a lot cheaper and Disney could brag about how 'green' they are going. Its not like they don't get enough sun in Florida!

 

[agent86]

Overheard someone on the monorail this week state that the reason Disney isn't building any more monorail track is it would cost $1mil per mile. Can we just put this rumor to rest. WDW currently has what about 15 miles? If they could double the track at a cost of $15mil don't you think they would? $15 mil is a pretty small capital investment for something like that. I could believe $50mil. But I think it would be even higher once you build all the stations, upgrade the control systems, etc.

So let's just put the $1mil per mile rumor to bed already.

Came to this conclusion all on your own after overhearing someone talking about it, huh? Why do I suspect you read the Yesterland "monorail urban legends" article and then started this post as your own idea (thinking nobody here...on a Disney fan site :hammer:...would know that's where you got it)? Let me guess, next we'll be seeing a new thread from you where you'll state that you "overheard someone saying" that the dark squares on the Swan and Dolphin are for a future monorail expansion, and that just doesn't make sense to you "and here's why..." (followed by the exact word-for-word explanation that's in the Yesterland article)?

 

[Mr.EPCOT]

I wonder how much it would cost to use TTA style transportation throughout the park? I know its been brought up before and I'm sure its not plausible and only a pipe dream in the imagination of TTA fans & myself, but if I remember correctly the original EPCOT proposal used WEDway Peoplemovers extensively. Probably just a selling point to the state of Florida decision makers. Anybody have any info on cost of Peoplemover Tech?

*Side Note*
I love WDW Transportation! Once on arrival day I decided to go on a WDW Transportation "World Tour" I Started @ the boardwalk, Took a boat to Epcot, Took the Monorail to TTC, Monorail Resort Loop to MK, Took MKRR to Tomorrowland, Rode TTA, Back on MKRR Back to Main Street, Boat to GF for dinner. Bused to DAK for RPW Train and rode a bus all by myself with the driver (He let me give my own bus spiel with crazy rumors in true bus driver fashion) back to BW. One of My Fav WDW memories!:sohappy::sohappy::sohappy:

WEDWay PeopleMovers were actually supposed to be more of an integral transportation system at Walt Disney World from the start. If you look at the original plans, you'll notice WEDWays servicing Guests between the Resorts and the Magic Kingdom, while the Monorail being used for greater distances across property. Later on into WDW's history, CommuniCore was designed so that a PeopleMover could be installed. I've also heard that the tram lane routes at the parks have also been designed that a WEDWay PeopleMover could replace the trams if Disney ever chose.

 

[s8film40]

I'm not 100% sure, but I don't believe there are any buses between EPCOT and MK precisely because there's the Monorail.

Which would, if I'm correct, make the comparison of which is more efficient moot.

Probably the best way to compare the two is to look at the system as a whole.

Looking at this chart and doing some quick math, it takes about 175 buses to do the work of 12 monorails, and the wait time for a bus can be up to 10 times as long. Buses are very inefficient, unfortunately Disney has planned much of the WDW resort with buses in mind making it that much more difficult to implement an efficient transportation system.

 

[hwdelien]

There is one very important thing that everyone is missing and that is aesthetics. Sure the Contemporary, when built, was an architectural marvel, having a monorail stop in the middle was a natural extension of the “modern” design. But, could you imagine a monorail stop at Old Key West Resort , Animal Kingdom, or the Wilderness Lodge? Where would you put that structure that wouldn’t destroy the beauty and charm and still be convenient for guests to get to without a long walk? The only way I can imagine possible is to have it underground, but who ever heard of an underground monorail? That’d just be a subway, right?:hammer:

 

[Kamikaze]

There is one very important thing that everyone is missing and that is aesthetics. Sure the Contemporary, when built, was an architectural marvel, having a monorail stop in the middle was a natural extension of the “modern” design. But, could you imagine a monorail stop at Old Key West Resort , Animal Kingdom, or the Wilderness Lodge? Where would you put that structure that wouldn’t destroy the beauty and charm and still be convenient for guests to get to without a long walk? The only way I can imagine possible is to have it underground, but who ever heard of an underground monorail? That’d just be a subway, right?:hammer:

Can't go underground in FL.

 

[hwdelien]

Yeah, didn't think about that, but, I guess, they could build fake hills or something to hide it. The point still is there is no way to build a monorail stop in a lot of these resorts without it ruining the beauty.

 

[Master Yoda]

Probably the best way to compare the two is to look at the system as a whole.

Looking at this chart and doing some quick math, it takes about 175 buses to do the work of 12 monorails, and the wait time for a bus can be up to 10 times as long. Buses are very inefficient, unfortunately Disney has planned much of the WDW resort with buses in mind making it that much more difficult to implement an efficient transportation system.

You can quote capacity numbers until the cows come home and monorails will always win when you compare them to buses but what those numbers do not reflect is flexibility. The monorails have next to none and the buses have it coming out of their ears. If a single monorail breaks down it shuts down the entire track. Now you have a few hundred people stranded in a monorail train waiting for the system come back on line or to be rescued by the tug. All the wile the number of guests waiting at the stations grows by the second. If a bus breaks down you simply pull up another bus and transfer the passengers. It is also much easier to adjust the number of buses to reflect guest demand. A 360 passenger monorail picking up 20 people is not all that efficient.

 

[Master Yoda]

Can't go underground in FL.

Well you can it just gets really, really wet.

 

[hwdelien]

Well you can it just gets really, really wet.

Actually, they can build them under rivers, etc. If they really wanted to, they could go underground.

 

[wvdisneyfamily]

There is one very important thing that everyone is missing and that is aesthetics. Sure the Contemporary, when built, was an architectural marvel, having a monorail stop in the middle was a natural extension of the “modern” design. But, could you imagine a monorail stop at Old Key West Resort , Animal Kingdom, or the Wilderness Lodge? Where would you put that structure that wouldn’t destroy the beauty and charm and still be convenient for guests to get to without a long walk? The only way I can imagine possible is to have it underground, but who ever heard of an underground monorail? That’d just be a subway, right?:hammer:

I agree. Plus, the WL and AKL are fairly reasonable priced deluxes. Adding the monorail would drive that up and make deluxe resorts a little less easy to rationalize financially for some people. There's a huge difference in price for the WL and the Poly or GF for my husband and me. We quoted each of them through our AAA agent for our last trip and the WL, while pricey, paled in comparison to the prices for the Poly and GF.

 

[Master Yoda]

Actually, they can build them under rivers, etc. If they really wanted to, they could go underground.

You can do anything as long as you are willing to pay the price. I'll venture the guess that hiring each and every guest in WDW a limo would be less expensive then building a underground subway in system in WDW.

 

[s8film40]

You can quote capacity numbers until the cows come home and monorails will always win when you compare them to buses but what those numbers do not reflect is flexibility. The monorails have next to none and the buses have it coming out of their ears. If a single monorail breaks down it shuts down the entire track. Now you have a few hundred people stranded in a monorail train waiting for the system come back on line or to be rescued by the tug. All the wile the number of guests waiting at the stations grows by the second. If a bus breaks down you simply pull up another bus and transfer the passengers. It is also much easier to adjust the number of buses to reflect guest demand. A 360 passenger monorail picking up 20 people is not all that efficient.

While this is a very common myth there is absolutely no truth to it. Monorails can be just as flexible and in some cases more so than buses. A well designed monorail system can easily increase and decrease capacity based on needs and deal with problems as they occur. With that said no transportation system is completely immune to problems. For example the Disney bus system uses a small one lane road to enter the Magic Kingdom bus loop, if a bus were to break down there it would shut down the bus service completely at the Magic Kingdom. Not to mention buses are subject to outside influences if there is a major accident at a key location on a major road or large amounts of traffic, this could also shut the bus system down or slow it to a crawl. Keep in mind also that the monorail system in place at WDW is essentially built with 1971 technology there have been many great innovations over the years. There are many times at WDW when a disabled train is dealt with and removed from the system without the passengers even knowing it is happening, just because a train is disabled doesn't mean all other trains have to stop. A well designed monorail system can adjust the number of trains based on needs, adjust the capacity of trains based on need, bypass stations as needed, route trains directly to where they are needed, route trains around any disabled trains, and all with no interruption to the service. If monorails were not a viable and efficient means of transportation they would not be being built in todays modern theme park resorts.

 

[Master Yoda]

While this is a very common myth there is absolutely no truth to it. Monorails can be just as flexible and in some cases more so than buses. A well designed monorail system can easily increase and decrease capacity based on needs and deal with problems as they occur. With that said no transportation system is completely immune to problems. For example the Disney bus system uses a small one lane road to enter the Magic Kingdom bus loop, if a bus were to break down there it would shut down the bus service completely at the Magic Kingdom. Not to mention buses are subject to outside influences if there is a major accident at a key location on a major road or large amounts of traffic, this could also shut the bus system down or slow it to a crawl. Keep in mind also that the monorail system in place at WDW is essentially built with 1971 technology there have been many great innovations over the years. There are many times at WDW when a disabled train is dealt with and removed from the system without the passengers even knowing it is happening, just because a train is disabled doesn't mean all other trains have to stop. A well designed monorail system can adjust the number of trains based on needs, adjust the capacity of trains based on need, bypass stations as needed, route trains directly to where they are needed, route trains around any disabled trains, and all with no interruption to the service. If monorails were not a viable and efficient means of transportation they would not be being built in todays modern theme park resorts.

I am pretty sure the half hour plus that I spend one evening on a full monorail stopped between MK and the Contemporary during a power outage actually happened and was not a mythical event. I am also quite confident that no other monorail went over around or through us during this outage as well and finally the number of irate guests impatiently waiting at our final destination was considerable. So the whole myth of monorails breaking down not causing a problems is well....a myth. The current monorail system can come to a grinding halt with only one train breaking down.

I am sure there are better more flexible monorail systems out there but the one at WDW ain't one of them.

Right now the bus system works for WDW. Is it as magical or cool as a monorail? Of Course not but it works. Quite honestly I think WDW would be better served by expanding their boats and waterways before they expanded the monorail. Waterways are far less expensive to build and maintain, boats are considerably less expensive than monorails and can be bought off the shelf, there are no traffic tie ups, and you are using technology that is as reliable as it gets.