Rumor Higher Speed Rail from MCO to Disney World

[bcoachable]

MCO as a central transportation hub is great.
I think Disney already does a magnificent job of accommodating the transfer of guests from MCO to WDW for themselves...
I’m somewhat surprised that Universal has not done something similar...

 

[Model3 McQueen]

Sadly all your going to get is conservative type responses it seems which isn't surprising on here.

Oh man those evil conservatives amirite? Last I checked, it wasn't conservatives taking land from good folk in California to build a doomed high speed rail

 

[eddie104]

Oh man those evil conservatives amirite? Last I checked, it wasn't conservatives taking land from good folk in California to build a doomed high speed rail

You don't support HSR which is fine but some people want other forms of transit. Just because someone is conservative or liberal doesn't mean they have your best interests at heart so it doesn't matter who is in control of the government

 

[Neel24]

Oh man those evil conservatives amirite? Last I checked, it wasn't conservatives taking land from good folk in California to build a doomed high speed rail

The problem for some is the mentality of everyman for themself and not the well being of the society, transit improves society as a whole. I guess our country is too divided to get anything done.

 

[Model3 McQueen]

You don't support HSR which is fine but some people want other forms of transit. Just because someone is conservative or liberal doesn't mean they have your best interests at heart so it doesn't matter who is control of the government

I support it, but not when it's way over budget and the departure - arrival time is still less than a flight and around the same as a car. That's just silly.

I agree to an extent

The problem for some is the mentality of everyman for themself and not the well being of the society, transit improves society as a whole. I guess our country is too divided to get anything done.

So true

 

[eddie104]

I support it, but not when it's way over budget and the departure - arrival time is still less than a flight and around the same as a car. That's just silly.

I agree to an extent



So true

But people don't say the same for road projects because those are considered "essential" but they don't solve traffic problems and a lot of the times make it worse.

 

[Lensman]

Over the next 20-50 years*, I wonder how self-driving technology will affect commuter transit or longer distance transit like rail/air/bus travel? I could see it going one of three ways:
1. Rail travel becomes more popular because the first and last mile connections become convenient and cheap. Your car drops you off at the station and you take cheap robo-Uber when you get off the train to your final destination. This scenario would also be supported by decreases in car ownership.
2. Rail travel becomes even less popular because people will let their car drive them. All the economics of driving yourself are still there and now you don't even have the bother of having to drive.
3. The current concept of rail travel becomes outmoded and replaced by some new multi-modal transport system where your car itself goes on the train like the auto train.

* I edited this point to add this timescale because that's what I see as the timescale of any substantive change in rail travel in the U.S., if any.

 

[eddie104]

I wonder how self-driving technology will affect commuter transit or longer distance transit like rail/air/bus travel? I could see it going one of three ways:
1. Rail travel becomes more popular because the first and last mile connections become convenient and cheap. Your car drops you off at the station and you take cheap robo-Uber when you get off the train to your final destination.
2. Rail travel becomes even less popular because people will let their car drive them. All the economics of driving yourself are still there and now you don't even have the bother of having to drive.
3. The current concept of rail travel becomes outmoded and replaced by some new multi-modal transport system where your car itself goes on the train like the auto train.

Lol self driving cars are not going to move the needle and are more of the same.

 

[Model3 McQueen]

But people don't say the same for road projects because those are considered "essential" but they don't solve traffic problems and a lot of the times make it worse.

Roads are America's veins. Comparing roads to rail, let alone HSR, is apples to oranges.

 

[Stripes]

Lol self driving cars are not going to move the needle and are more of the same.

Long-term, self-driving cars will resolve a lot of our traffic problems today. The roads we have already have PLENTY of capacity. However, every human mind fighting for their position in the roadway leads to vast inefficiencies. Eventually, every car on the roadway will talk to one another and algorithms will ensure everyone gets where they need to go as quickly as possible. Traffic will cease to exist, and cars on highways will be zooming by at speeds much higher than they do today as every movement is coordinated therefore elimating the need for a speed limit. The speed limit on our highway is 60 MPH. If it weren't for stupid humans it could be much higher. However, there are many hills and people don't step on the accelerator when they're going up, so that causes slow downs. People often step on the brakes for new mergers because the ramp is so small. There could be some community clean-up and idiots will slow to a crawl to observe. All of this and more will be solved once self-driving cars enter the mainstream, and the wheel is taken away from stupid people.

If I say so myself, public transit will be outdated soon enough as cars retake their place as the fastest, most efficient form of land-based transport.

 

[eddie104]

Long-term, self-driving cars will resolve a lot of our traffic problems today. The roads we have already have PLENTY of capacity. However, every human mind fighting for their position in the roadway leads to vast inefficiencies. Eventually, every car on the roadway will talk to one another and algorithms will ensure everyone gets where they need to go as quickly as possible. Traffic will cease to exist, and cars on highways will be zooming by at speeds much higher than they do today as every movement is coordinated therefore elimating the need for a speed limit. The speed limit on our highway is 60 MPH. If it weren't for stupid humans it could be much higher. However, there are many hills and people don't step on the accelerator when they're going up, so that causes slow downs. People often step on the brakes for new mergers because the ramp is so small. There could be some community clean-up and idiots will slow to a crawl to observe. All of this and more will be solved once self-driving cars enter the mainstream, and the wheel is taken away from stupid people.

If I say so myself, public transit will be outdated soon enough as cars retake their place as the fastest, most efficient form of land-based transport.

I think your being a little delusional if they cars are the end all be all as they will never take place of transit for capacity as well as efficiency reasons alone. Plus do you think these self driving cars are going to be affordable to the average family because I'm pretty sure the tech is super expensive. Also your just replacing one mode of transport with the same thing and saying it is going to be faster because of less accidents but the same amount of vehicles are going to be on the road whose to say system malfunctions won't cause more.

 

[eddie104]

Roads are America's veins. Comparing roads to rail, let alone HSR, is apples to oranges.

Rail was once America's backbone as well but got replaced because of illusion of independence however economically without the freight trains you wouldn't be getting products delivered to your door from Amazon and other businesses.

 

[Stripes]

I think your being a little delusional if they cars are the end all be all as they will never take place of transit for capacity as well as efficiency reasons alone. Plus do you think these self driving cars are going to be affordable to the average family because I'm pretty sure the tech is super expensive. Also your just replacing one mode of transport with the same thing and saying it is going to be faster because of less accidents but the same amount of vehicles are going to be on the road whose to say system malfunctions won't cause more.

Long-term (25 years), absolutely to all your questions. Cars will forever be the most convenient form of transport. Rail has efficiency. Air has speed. Cars will match rail in efficiency eventually.

I think you may be a bit uneducated with regard to self-driving technology. Trust me, it's worth your time to read up on it.

 

[Bartledvd]

Orlando has enough people going between specific areas that a good mass transit system would help with the traffic nightmare but it will never be easy or cheap to build. Who wants to be made to move or have large infrastructure built near there home but it is needed.

Self driving cars are coming for sure but i for one am not looking forward to sharing a road with Mr Fixit who has found great tutorials to get around error codes.

Thankfully America has the blessing of space and parking is not quite the same issue (in most towns ) as in most of Europe but as population grows in major cities these issues will become huge, Frequently we can spend 20 minutes or more just to find a spot to run a quick errand.

 

[Thebolt]

I know I just mean that they get transportation done and we don’t, for various debatable reasons. If we were France or the Uk ect there would have been a train 20 years ago connecting Miami to Disney.

Major train routes in the UK typically take decades to deliver. Crossrail in London was originally proposed back in the 1940s, but seriously pushed from 2001. It will open next year. There is only 67 miles of true high speed track in the UK, the line from London to the channel tunnel, although the backbone of the network is high speed in Florida terms.
What is more common is re-opening closed routes, which doesn't tend to need major demolition work as the old routes are often mostly still there; or realignment and electrification work to improve capacity. Even there, not much takes under 10 years to deliver.

 

[networkpro]

I think
Again, who is suggesting taking anyone’s property? That seems like a boogie man argument against public transit. What’s your solution then if you’re afraid your property will be stolen if transit is improved?

So the conundrum is you are at A and want to go to a point Z. To do so you have to pass through points B through Y which is occupied and owned by people engaged in whatever they want to do with the intervening land that they own and may have owned for generations. At what point do your aspirations override their rights? That's where the point you brought up about lawsuits comes into play. These people, property owners, are seeking legal redress to continue their own pursuits.

 

[networkpro]

Major train routes in the UK typically take decades to deliver. Crossrail in London was originally proposed back in the 1940s, but seriously pushed from 2001. It will open next year. There is only 67 miles of true high speed track in the UK, the line from London to the channel tunnel, although the backbone of the network is high speed in Florida terms.
What is more common is re-opening closed routes, which doesn't tend to need major demolition work as the old routes are often mostly still there; or realignment and electrification work to improve capacity. Even there, not much takes under 10 years to deliver.

Plenty of currently non-utilized railbed exists, it just doesnt match up to current population distribution for short distance commutes.

 

[Astro_Digital]

Roads are America's veins. Comparing roads to rail, let alone HSR, is apples to oranges.

Railroads are not as important even for most freight as the were years ago.
We use for the most part Air/Trucks, rail takes too long and does not save a lot of money.

 

[DisneyCane]

Trains in the US work best for freight when cost and efficiency outweigh speed and convenience. The population density and layout in this country doesn't lend itself to trains for short/medium distance travel outside of a few areas like New York City for short distance and the Boston-DC corridor for medium distance.

In the vast majority of the US, cars are faster and MUCH more convenient for short distances (under 60 miles). Planes are MUCH faster than trains (even including the airport process on both ends) for anything over 600 miles. In that 60-600 mile range, cars will generally be more convenient than trains even though the travel time is higher. If going to Tampa or Orlando from Miami, a high speed train might save an hour or 2 depending on traffic but, most of the time, having your car at the destination is worth more in convenience than the time savings.

 

[lazyboy97o]

One of the big issues that differentiates the United States from many other places is the political organization of cities. In a lot of other countries you see some sort of larger metropolitan political organization or even heavy involvement from a unitary national government. Transit is therefore part of a more top-down organization. Despite greater attention on federal politics, the US is far more bottom-top in its organization with local jurisdictions typically devising and executing projects. Even federal initiatives, like the one that would have funded the Tampa-Orlando high speed rail project, are typically just funding mechanisms for locally crafted projects.

If the City of Orlando wanted to building a rail link between Orlando International Airport and the attraction area they could not build a direct route. Instead they would have to build a giant arc and then they could only go to the existing part of Universal Orlando Resort. Even then, staying inside their city limits wouldn’t avoid other jurisdictions. There is no single political entity that could more unilaterally build such a connection. Universal building a connection between their existing parks and new park would require involving the City of Orlando, Orange County, Florida and the federal government.