'Disney Springs' - Downtown Disney expansion officially announced

[dupac]

That's a funny story. Funny how names just stick. My dad started calling me "mommy" when I was really small because I look a lot like my grandma. He never calls me by my first name... Just "mom" or "mommy".

Haha. See, that just reaffirms my belief that nicknames are born, not made!!

So how about that high speed rail, err I mean Disney Springs... what's this thread about again?

So first we see parking garages, then what?

 

[Cosmic Commando]

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/flyingcheap/view/
True, but most Americans don't know how poorly maintained our aircraft are.

That plane crashed about five miles from my house, so I followed the story extremely closely, as you can imagine. The crash, as far as I can remember, had absolutely nothing to do with maintenance. The short story is that the plane was losing airspeed because of ice, and the pilot pulled up instead of pushing the nose of the plane down to gain speed. Ice changes the shape of the wings, and wings are shaped the way they are for a reason. Two simple things could have prevented that crash: 1. The pilot was actually overriding a safety system that was automatically pushing the stick down. If he just kept flirting with the First Officer, the plane might have been fine. 2. A Turboprop plane should not be used in those conditions. They are more susceptible to icing because of their lower speed, and many companies stopped using them in similar conditions before this crash.

However, commercial air travel is extremely safe, even if it is built on the back of some people working long hours for low pay in crappy jobs... they're kinda like Disney in that regard.

 

[the.dreamfinder]

@Cosmic Commando the second half covers maintenance.

 

[Cosmic Commando]

@Cosmic Commando the second half covers maintenance.

I wish the FAA had more resolve, but still, the numbers speak for themselves IMO. I don't think these problems experienced in the airline industry are unique to air travel.

 

[the.dreamfinder]

I wish the FAA had more resolve, but still, the numbers speak for themselves IMO. I don't think these problems experienced in the airline industry are unique to air travel.

That's the point I am making!

 

[jt04]

You guys are lucky. Gas is pretty much always more than four dollars a gallon in L.A.

It isn't like Californians don't deserve it. Wait until you see your electric rates in a year or two. I suggest investing in LED light bulbs. The are very economical now.

 

[unkadug]

Think about this. What if you could drive 4 or 5 miles to a micro airport then board an automated airplane (heard of UAVs?) for 2 to 4 passengers (yes, no pilot) and land within 4 to 5 miles of any destination in the state where your Zipcar awaits or someone is there to meet your party. Kind of makes the hassle of HSR seem extreme.

That is the future and the technology already exists.

If I board an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle it would no longer be unmanned.Just saying...


And how would my "Zipcar" know where to pick me up if the UAV can only land somewhere in a 4 to 5 mile radius of my destination? Give me a sighted pilot any day.

 

[jt04]

If I board an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle it would no longer be unmanned.Just saying...


And how would my "Zipcar" know where to pick me up if the UAV can only land somewhere in a 4 to 5 mile radius of my destination? Give me a sighted pilot any day.

You would have ordered your Zipcar from your computer app when you arranged your flight. It would be at the airport waiting for you.

And then there is this......

http://www.technologyreview.com/news/512791/the-perfect-parking-garage-no-drivers-required/

It is happening. Some claim it will not in the next 10 years but then nobody would have predicted the rapid evolution of cell phones or computer memory.

 

[jt04]

If I board an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle it would no longer be unmanned.Just saying...


And how would my "Zipcar" know where to pick me up if the UAV can only land somewhere in a 4 to 5 mile radius of my destination? Give me a sighted pilot any day.

And this......

http://www.gizmag.com/pocket-airports-would-link-neighborhoods-by-air/17296/

 

[DocMcHulk]

We need to invest in rail networks across this country, especially in areas of high density like NYC/NJ.

The next time my family is in FL, you should have lunch with my wife. She works for a European Rail company and weeps for the status of the American rail system.

 

[George]

Who would've guessed that the Disney Springs parking structures (aka the lymph nodes of the world) would spark such an in depth discussion about the future of transportation. You know a ride about transportation (beyond horseless carriages) would go great in EPCOT. I wonder if anyone ever thought of this?

 

[Californian Elitist]

It isn't like Californians don't deserve it. Wait until you see your electric rates in a year or two. I suggest investing in LED light bulbs. The are very economical now.

Okay, jt.

 

[lazyboy97o]

A train derailing at 150 MPH because it hits a gap in track would certainly be deadly and attention-grabbing, although I'm sure there would be safety systems monitoring the integrity of the track. Still, just disabling the track would cause economic hardship, and that's enough for some people.

Terrorists have attacked subway systems in England, Japan and Spain. All of these countries have high speed rail systems. I know anything can happen, but I do think it interesting that in these rail cities it was the subways that were repeatedly attacked. Terrorism is about invoking fear and if we fear then they have been successful. Any number of places could make for a spectacle. We didn't stop building office buildings or airplanes, and they remain prime targets.

In terms of a line being destroyed, yes, the high speed train service would be suspended. But high speed rail is part of a layered system. It will still be possible for people to take the roads, conventional rail (maybe) or a plane.

 

[Clever Name]

We need to invest in rail networks across this country, especially in areas of high density like NYC/NJ.

Nothing could be farther from the truth. Passenger rail lines are nothing but a big hole in the ground into which to throw government money:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/13/AR2011021302203.html

 

[Cosmic Commando]

Terrorists have attacked subway systems in England, Japan and Spain. All of these countries have high speed rail systems. I know anything can happen, but I do think it interesting that in these rail cities it was the subways that were repeatedly attacked. Terrorism is about invoking fear and if we fear then they have been successful. Any number of places could make for a spectacle. We didn't stop building office buildings or airplanes, and they remain prime targets.

In terms of a line being destroyed, yes, the high speed train service would be suspended. But high speed rail is part of a layered system. It will still be possible for people to take the roads, conventional rail (maybe) or a plane.

Yes, I am thankful that terrorists do not seem to be very resourceful. I feel like there are many easy targets that, for some reason, have escaped terrorists' ire.

 

[Mouse Detective]

The next time my family is in FL, you should have lunch with my wife. She works for a European Rail company and weeps for the status of the American rail system.

I'm a big fan of European rail and its integration with local transportation systems in each city. But to be fair, western Europe is densely packed population-wise and cities are very close together. The United States is anything but that, except for the Northeast. And in the Northeast Corridor we do have a pretty integrated system in place.

Nothing could be farther from the truth. Passenger rail lines are nothing but a big hole in the ground into which to throw government money:

Rail passenger service (including local bus and Metro systems) cannot operate at a profit and requires government subsidy. That's a fact. But other than toll roads, all of our roads were built by local, county, state or federal governments and no one says that's a big hole. Our air transportation system operates at a profit (sometimes) but the airports were built by governments and the entire air traffic control system is paid for by the government. That's the same big hole in the ground. It's not a fair comparison when we ignore government's pricy involvement in these other forms of transport.

 

[Clever Name]

But other than toll roads, all of our roads were built by local, county, state or federal governments and no one says that's a big hole. Our air transportation system operates at a profit (sometimes) but the airports were built by governments and the entire air traffic control system is paid for by the government. That's the same big hole in the ground. It's not a fair comparison when we ignore government's pricy involvement in these other forms of transport.

Wrong. You obviously did not bother to read the article I posted. I'll quote a section here to help improve your understanding:

"Rail buffs argue that subsidies for passenger service simply offset the huge government support of highways and airways. The subsidies "level the playing field." Wrong. In 2004, the Transportation Department evaluated federal transportation subsidies from 1990 to 2002. It found passenger rail service had the highest subsidy ($186.35 per thousand passenger-miles) followed by mass transit ($118.26 per thousand miles). By contrast, drivers received no net subsidy; their fuel taxes more than covered federal spending. Subsidies for airline passengers were about $5 per thousand miles traveled. (All figures are in inflation-adjusted year 2000 dollars.)"

 

[flynnibus]

Mass Transit shouldn't be looked at something to be a profit center - it's intended to be a service for the public good.

 

[danlb_2000]

You will see automated cars by 2022. Less than 10 years and maybe sooner. Even more profound is that I think you will see automated personal air travel for medium distances (200-400 miles) in conjunction with the same technology. It is happening quickly.

The problem with predicting when automated cars will be a reality is that the technology will probably be ready long before the public accepts them. Guessing when the public will be ready is the hard part.

 

[G00fyDad]

The problem with predicting when automated cars will be a reality is that the technology will probably be ready long before the public accepts them. Guessing when the public will be ready is the hard part.

I'm ready now.