Automated monorail system update

[WDWFan_Boston]

Most of the Florida money went to California. Some of it went to the NE Corridor. I know the NE Corridor will be a good investment. I'm just worried about California. First, the route is a round-about that doesn't go straight to from north to south. Second, rising cost projections are putting that project at risk. If they don't get their act together, I hope those funds are taken from them and given to the NE Corridor.

High speed rail in the Northeast Corridor will not happen for at least 30+ years, IMO. For the past 8 years, the MA governor and the MBTA have been working on the South Coast rail, which would connect Boston with Fall River. The cost for this commuter line will be about $1.8 billion. Even then, it still will take at least another 5 years before the first train rolls. There are a lot of right-of-way issues with small towns in New England that make the red tape next to unbearable. Between red tape and the enormous cost, it doesn't seem likely. The best bet for higher speed rail right now is the Acela, which has decent ridership, but nothing showing the groundswell of support for high-speed rail.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Coast_Rail

 

[Cesar R M]

Count our money

 

[WDWFan_Boston]

Most of the Florida money went to California. Some of it went to the NE Corridor. I know the NE Corridor will be a good investment. I'm just worried about California. First, the route is a round-about that doesn't go straight to from north to south. Second, rising cost projections are putting that project at risk. If they don't get their act together, I hope those funds are taken from them and given to the NE Corridor.

I should mention that I would love to have a high-speed rail corridor in the Northeast. Washington DC in 3 1/2 hours? I'm in! Currently, if I go to NYC, I take the Amtrak or Greyhound (they are nicer in the Northeast). I just don't know how these projects will move ahead without losing money hand over fist and without taking multiple generations.

 

[Admiral01]

I think this is a smart idea. As others have said, the safety measures in place now are great but having a pilot in control of them means they could ultimately be overridden. My question is this though... can/will this truly be a new pilotless monorail? Can they really do that when it's a mode of transportation?

That aside... have to agree the idea is kind of a retirement job dream killer. Sadness. LOL

I believe it can be. Vegas monorail is automated. It is a transportation system.

 

[Admiral01]

I should mention that I would love to have a high-speed rail corridor in the Northeast. Washington DC in 3 1/2 hours? I'm in! Currently, if I go to NYC, I take the Amtrak or Greyhound (they are nicer in the Northeast). I just don't know how these projects will move ahead without losing money hand over fist and without taking multiple generations.

It certainly would be nice to have faster travel time for us in DC to reach NYC and Boston.

 

[PeterAlt]

I believe it can be. Vegas monorail is automated. It is a transportation system.

It is. It's actually a next generation model of what's at WDW. Disney sold the patents to the monorail system to Bombardier. Bombardier designed an upgraded model with automation and that's what Vegas has.

 

[BwanaBob]

 

[scout68]

Snapped this the other day

 

[scout68]

This one as well

 

[Admiral01]

View attachment 37871 This one as well

Wow. We noticed some of the big lines in mid-October, and my wife actually asked if it was for some sort of monorail system upgrade. I told her I had no idea... So, I will go home tonight and tell her that she was indeed correct.

 

[deix15x8]

Saw some of this work going on between the Contemporary and TTC in early-mid October. Thought it would be related to improving the lacking network infrastructure since they now offer free wifi. Never would have guessed it was monorail related.

 

[lazyboy97o]

I'm curious as to how much actual capacity can be improved with automation. It opens up slightly increased speeds and maybe smaller blocks, but what else? Delays at loading and unloading will remain a possibility.

 

[Texas84]

Actually, the whole thing was paid for, minus a very small difference.

That's not entirely correct. Florida would have been stuck with ongoing maintenance. Just like California is stuck maintaining empty trains for coyotes to ride.

 

[MOXOMUMD]

Wait Santa isn't real???

 

[PeterAlt]

Saw some of this work going on between the Contemporary and TTC in early-mid October. Thought it would be related to improving the lacking network infrastructure since they now offer free wifi. Never would have guessed it was monorail related.

Speaking of which, will there be wifi on the monorails?

 

[PeterAlt]

That's not entirely correct. Florida would have been stuck with ongoing maintenance. Just like California is stuck maintaining empty trains for coyotes to ride.

But operating income would have paid for it. There's a lot of traffic between Tampa and Orlando and it would have had a direct connection to OIA, eliminating the need for taxi service. The sheer demand it would have generated for service between the Orlando attractions, the convention center, and OIA alone would have been enough ridership to turn a profit. They should have at least found a way to build that part of the system.

In Miami, when they built the airport extension to the Miami Metrorail a couple of years ago, ridership shot up 40%. That system would have started at OIA and the Orange County Convention Center, as well as a station within WDW connected to monorail AND go all the way to Tampa. It would have been a very popular system that would have actually made money for the state and let's not forget about all those JOBS it would have created.

 

[luv]

I wondered what those white vans and people were doing! It was a passing thought and I forgot about it later.

This site is awesome.

 

[lazyboy97o]

But operating income would have paid for it. There's a lot of traffic between Tampa and Orlando and it would have had a direct connection to OIA, eliminating the need for taxi service. The sheer demand it would have generated for service between the Orlando attractions, the convention center, and OIA alone would have been enough ridership to turn a profit. They should have at least found a way to build that part of the system.

There is nowhere near enough traffic between Orlando and Tampa to support the great expenses required to maintain a genuine high speed rail system. Much less is there demand to pay more and take more time in travel just to say "I rode the high speed train that barely ever hit high speed." The idea that just the local Orlando area traffic would be sufficient is even more laughable and an even greater misuse of the technology. The state project was a boondoggle that would have further set back rail in this country.

 

[Tonka's Skipper]

There is nowhere near enough traffic between Orlando and Tampa to support the great expenses required to maintain a genuine high speed rail system. Much less is there demand to pay more and take more time in travel just to say "I rode the high speed train that barely ever hit high speed." The idea that just the local Orlando area traffic would be sufficient is even more laughable and an even greater misuse of the technology. The state project was a boondoggle that would have further set back rail in this country.

Afternoon Lazyboy,

What if the line continued north from Tampa, up the coast though, Alabama, Mississippi to NOL? and on from there............Do you think that could be economically sound?

 

[PeterAlt]

There is nowhere near enough traffic between Orlando and Tampa to support the great expenses required to maintain a genuine high speed rail system. Much less is there demand to pay more and take more time in travel just to say "I rode the high speed train that barely ever hit high speed." The idea that just the local Orlando area traffic would be sufficient is even more laughable and an even greater misuse of the technology. The state project was a boondoggle that would have further set back rail in this country.

I disagree. The numbers are there. An urban metro system would have cost the same amount. Just add up the number of visitors each year to the Orlando area attractions, the convention center, and Tampa each year and you will have a minimum number of people who will be riding system.