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HSR Coming to FLA, AKA "See I told you so"
- Thread starter jt04
- Start date
Disney has already agreed to build a station on property. They are 100% on board or no money would be on the way. They will not fight it, they want the project.
Wilt Dasney
Well-Known Member
Yeah, forcibly seizing property belonging to one of the state's biggest sources of tax revenue...not gonna happen.
(Not that it really seems relevant here. I agree with jt that Disney's willingness to build a station is all we need to know. They fought this for years as I recall, so obviously they decided it wasn't in their interest to keep fighting.)
I never said Disney didn't now want the money or the project. This helps them too much. My point was that they'll use their considerable resources in the State of Florida to help "guide" the project along for terms that are in their favor.
I think most of the details have already been worked out. Hence the term "shovel ready".
For this to be running by 2014 means you could see construction start very soon. The right of ways and such are already established. I wouldn't be suprised to see the MCO-CC-WDW segment opened within 2 years. And certainly before the I-4 project starts.
Do we know where the construction will begin, Orlando or Tampa? Will the construction be linear or divided into sections and then merged later? Have the bids for the work been collected, reviewed and awarded? Which state legislator has a brother-in-law or second cousin, twice-removed that might like to get in on the action? And these are just three (mostly) serious questions that have to be considered.
Unfortunately, this is a situation where the implementation of the project is just as important (if not more so) then the decision to proceed and fund it....
JungleTrekFan
Active Member
This is Awesome. :sohappy: I love that the US is finally getting more forms of public transportation.
Amen, brother. Now I just hope people will start to use it.....
OrSen is saying they haven't decided how to proceed. But by completing the MCO-Convention Center-WDW segment immediately they can start generating funds quicker. I think we are only talking 10 to 15 miles of track so getting that running could be done rather quickly. But I also think the folks in Tampa would want to see the state promise to complete the entire Orlando to Tampa link before they would agree to that. I think it's the best way to proceed.
disneydudette
Well-Known Member
Not really sure how I feel about:
1) waiting for shuttle to train station/walking to station
2) waiting for train to take to Disney property
3) waiting for a bus to take to Disney resort
If ME adopts that process... I don't see any time advantage :shrug: Not to mention that wouldn't these trains follow some sort of schedule? Not nearly as consistant or "on demand" as the monorails/buses.
Not really sure how I feel about it as a tourist... my concern is obviously location/noise. It's "warm and fuzzy" feelings seeing the monorail at work... it's a "reminder" to see/hear a high speed train. Keep it out of sight and sound in my book!
Lovin' the idea for overall FL transportation... a major plus for both tourist and local.
1) waiting for shuttle to train station/walking to station
2) waiting for train to take to Disney property
3) waiting for a bus to take to Disney resort
If ME adopts that process... I don't see any time advantage :shrug: Not to mention that wouldn't these trains follow some sort of schedule? Not nearly as consistant or "on demand" as the monorails/buses.
Not really sure how I feel about it as a tourist... my concern is obviously location/noise. It's "warm and fuzzy" feelings seeing the monorail at work... it's a "reminder" to see/hear a high speed train. Keep it out of sight and sound in my book!
Lovin' the idea for overall FL transportation... a major plus for both tourist and local.
GrowingUpDisney
New Member
Pres. Obama just said in his address thay he will be in Tampa tomorrow to announce this project.
Right there is two views on how to proceed, one from Orlando and one from Tampa. Now, add in other interested parties (Lakeland) curious as to when their development will begin. And then you have Tampa demanding certain concessions from the project as well (not you personally, but you know what I mean). This is going to be more complex than many peopel realize, and may not be completed by 2014. It's not quite on the scale of Boston's Big Dig, but the issues surrounding it are similar in nature....
The President singled out this project in his SOTU speech. In other words, he is fully invested politically. Disney has been on board for some time now. This won't be allowed to be turned into a political battle. You are cynical when you needn't be and vice versa. My bet is this is much further along than anyone is admitting. And the unveiling in Tampa by President Obama tomorrow should prove that.
Figment1986
Well-Known Member
:shrug: then build it on vacant land near celebration...
Near Celebration. On the west side of I-4 I think.
hrcollectibles
Active Member
I thought HSR stood for High School Recess, High School Retirement or even High School Recital..Like a new High School Musical Show
You're looking at the project from a macro level. Unfortunately the work is done on the micro level. You yourself said the Orlando Sentinel was unsure as to the direction the project would take once started. Again, these decisions are made at the state level, not by the US DoT, or even the President. I'm not saying it won't get done, or that I (or Disney) don't want to see it (and all of the other projects) come to fruition. But it's not as simple as a line in the State of the Union Address.
Boston studied the idea of the tunnel system for nearly 20 years. The estimates came in at around $6b (adjusted for current value). They started the dig in the early 1990's. Now, after 20 years of preparation you would think such a project defines "shovel ready." Yet it would take them almost another 20 years to finally finish the work, at a cost (again adjusted for curent value and with interest added in) of $22b. Now, I know, a much larger scale. But the proverbial devil is in the details, and will be as well with this rail project.
Figment1986
Well-Known Member
:lookaroun Anyone want to test that travel time... I know a few cars have passed me around those speeds :lol:
They already have done that... from 2001 through around 2004... before the state amendment was repealed... They wanted from MCO to them, while everyone else wanted a stop over at the convention center (which Orlando / orange county paid a pretty penny for and gets a lot of traffic) If disney brings up a problem again... they will just get bypassed like the monorail in vegas does with the problem hotels... and unlike the vegas monorail... this wont fail as bad due to connecting near or at the airports :lol: