'Disney Springs' - Downtown Disney expansion officially announced

[Clever Name]

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

You're saying that it's good for the public to waste money on rail systems when other forms of mass transit are more efficient and less costly?

 

[lazyboy97o]

You're saying that it's good for the public to waste money on rail systems when other forms of mass transit are more efficient and less costly?

Yes, because the metrics aren't one of direct costs. One must look at the wider urban system.

 

[Texas84]

You're saying that it's good for the public to waste money on rail systems when other forms of mass transit are more efficient and less costly?

There are some scary people on these boards, aren't there?

 

[G00fyDad]

Trains......

.........efficiency

cost...........

..............waste

Back on topic..... What are they chances that they'll have the project completed early?

 

[spaceghost]

You're saying that it's good for the public to waste money on rail systems when other forms of mass transit are more efficient and less costly?

That may not be a universal opinion.
http://www.vtpi.org/railben.pdf

 

[Clever Name]

Trains......

.........efficiency

cost...........

..............waste

Back on topic..... What are they chances that they'll have the project completed early?

You're right. Facts and logic don't sway people that like to play with trains at public expense.

 

[Calvin Coolidge]

That may not be a universal opinion.
http://www.vtpi.org/railben.pdf

You're right, the public transit industry lobbyists who you've linked to are pretty convinced that you should keep giving them lots and lots of money, ad infinitum!

Better do what they say.

 

[ThemeParks4Life]

Trains......

.........efficiency

cost...........

..............waste

Back on topic..... What are they chances that they'll have the project completed early?

Two things. First, that GIF rocks! Second, they don't seem to be messing around with this if construction is starting this early. If we're lucky this could be complete in 2015.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Two things. First, that GIF rocks! Second, they don't seem to be messing around with this if construction is starting this early. If we're lucky this could be complete in 2015.

Disney's construction speeds are a choice. They'll be done in 2016 because that's when they have decided to be done. This is ultimately speculative retail space so its easy to build.

 

[PhotoDave219]

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

Thats an opinion-editorial, not a factual piece of journalism.

 

[G00fyDad]

Disney's construction speeds are a choice. They'll be done in 2016 because that's when they have decided to be done. This is ultimately speculative retail space so its easy to build.

But is Disney doing the construction or is it a private company? (I have no idea about this sort of thing) But I have heard that construction companies get a bonus for finishing early sometimes. Maybe that could happen here?

 

[lazyboy97o]

But is Disney doing the construction or is it a private company? (I have no idea about this sort of thing) But I have heard that construction companies get a bonus for finishing early sometimes. Maybe that could happen here?

The bonuses are an incentive because getting a project open means that is when the project starts to make money. Such an offer has to be made and included in the contracts. But when you're over-focused on each quarter only in relation to the last then such incentives make less sense.

 

[WDW1974]

It could not have been made workable because the federal funding was all or nothing for high speed rail which made absolutely no sense for the route. It was wholly conceived to attract federal funds with no thought given to proper transit layering and the future. Conventional rail would have made the trip in roughly the same time (this isn't Japan so 5-10 minutes difference is almost negligible) with significantly less in start-up and operational costs, but that was a no go because it didn't fit the flashy image that the funding was about.

No, I agree with you that it made no sense. I would (and still would) like to see rail expanded in this country (doesn't all have to be HSR, either) as an option to get people off the damn roads.

Finding ways to maintain sprawl is not a solution.

Living in a state where they truly paved over paradise and put up a parking lot ... or lots ... and strip centers and malls ... and one development after another until a state known for open space is now terribly congested unless you're up in the scary panhandle, I can tell you that sprawl doesn't do much except make it easier to find a McD's, Starbucks or Walmart.

 

[WDW1974]

Gas is that high somewhere?!

It's that high in lots of places. And if Wall Street had its way you'd be paying $5-6 already now.

 

[WDW1974]

He only goes to full serve stations. You wouldn't expect he would touch a gas nozzle would you?

I have fanbois to pump it for me!

 

[WDW1974]

I'm skeptical about HSR... I think if it became popular, it would be too tempting of a target for terrorism. The air network is very flexible and resilient. 9/11 was absolutely awful, but did it affect the air system? No. Air travel was shut down for three(?) days while we all caught our collective breath and tried to figure out what was going on, but air travel itself was really unaffected. Even if you wiped a major airport like JFK completely off the map, the system would deal. Say there were a HSR line from Boston to Miami that replaced a lot of the air travel that currently takes place up and down the East coast: Boston, NYC, Philly, Baltimore/DC, Charlotte, Atlanta, Orlando, Tampa, Miami. You simply cannot protect 1200 miles of track; take out any one piece, and travel will be suspended for weeks or months for expensive repairs.

You can't live your life wondering what terrorists might do. ... I don't believe they are a serious threat to us at all at this point. Let's be blunt, if anyone wanted to bring this country to its knees all they'd have to do is have four people blow themselves up at Walmarts on Black Friday in four different parts of the country. You don't need to hit a big target to put fear in people and cause massive damage to the psyche of a nation.

I'd like to see us become a bit closer to Europe and Asia and get off the gas habit.

 

[WDW1974]

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.

Well, we all know Walt loved his trains, don't we? Oh, and I'd gladly have lunch with anyone's wife (ask @Lee about this). One of the many things I love about traveling in Europe and Asia is the ability to speed past the world, while eating or drinking or reading (or even working). Last spring I did high speed rail (mostly) from Paris to Berlin and it was blissful (just wish I had more sleep before my trip).

Anyone who thinks we're a world power by looking at our transport network would have one helluva laugh.

BTW, I've never taken a train in the USA that wasn't at a theme park or some sort of wilderness attraction or a subway in NYC.

 

[WDW1974]

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

Your opinion and that dude's.

Not mine.

And not many others.

We will run out of gas at some point (I do seem to recall being told we'd be out of it before 2000 in the 70s as a young Spirit).

We need options for a vast number of reasons. And I'd argue that rail has been so costly without results because Americans truly think they'll be able to drive forever and they don't really care much about future generations. So long as there's gas now and an open road and the Cars Land soundtrack turned up ...

 

[jt04]

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.

They just need to make it seem like a video game with a great user friendly app. Solved!

 

[jt04]

Well, we all know Walt loved his trains, don't we? Oh, and I'd gladly have lunch with anyone's wife (ask @Lee about this). One of the many things I love about traveling in Europe and Asia is the ability to speed past the world, while eating or drinking or reading (or even working). Last spring I did high speed rail (mostly) from Paris to Berlin and it was blissful (just wish I had more sleep before my trip).

Anyone who thinks we're a world power by looking at our transport network would have one helluva laugh.

BTW, I've never taken a train in the USA that wasn't at a theme park or some sort of wilderness attraction or a subway in NYC.

Turns out a pseudo HSR from Miami to MCO is in the works and looks likely. Great interim solution until Apple gives people iCars and iPlanes.

3 hours from Miami to MCO seems like a decent option compared to driving.