Monorail to Orlando airport / Tampa airport

[DHWD]

I was wondering if there is any truth to the rumor that the State of Florida and Disney are splitting the cost for a monorail between Orlando International airport and Disney properties. I also heard that there was possibility that a monorail would also go to Tampa airport --- Disney properties.

 

[Peter Pirate]

Not a monorail but a bullet train. It was approved by the voters of Florida but is opposed by gov. bush. It is a huge undertaking with lots of controversy. I will be stunned if it ever gets built.

 

[Werner Weiss]

See "Disney sways state panel to send train to its park"
BY MIKE BRANOM, Associated Press, October 28, 2003

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/state/7119432.htm

 

[mitros]

You and I, as Florida residents better hope that they don't build it. We will be paying for it with our tax dollars. Florida residents were tricked into voting for this taxpayer funded plan.

 

[wdwguide]

Originally posted by mitros
You and I, as Florida residents better hope that they don't build it. We will be paying for it with our tax dollars. Florida residents were tricked into voting for this taxpayer funded plan.

I wish they'd let me pay some tax dollars in this state so that they'd stop making all these budget cuts at the Universities. it's damn near impossible to get research funding these days. That's what happens when you try to run an economy based on Mickey Mouse I guess.

 

[DancingBear]

Originally posted by mitros
Florida residents were tricked into voting for this taxpayer funded plan.

Gee, between this, accidentally voting for Pat Buchanan and such, why do we ever let those folks in FL vote for anything?

 

[jtbdas]

Originally posted by DancingBear
Gee, between this, accidentally voting for Pat Buchanan and such, why do we ever let those folks in FL vote for anything?

Its all about the dimpled chad, just the chad!!!!!

Is that what I voted for????

 

[JimB.]

This thing is a freakin' white elephant on steroids.

It STILL does not have a price tag.

It will inevitably have less riders than projected (by probably 70-80%).

And yes, the taxpayers of Florida, along with our out-of-state visitors, will be paying for it f-o-r-e-v-e-r. It will n-e-v-e-r pay for itself. Never. Ever.

Hopefully it will never rise out of the swamps.

 

[DancingBear]

Originally posted by JimB.
And yes, the taxpayers of Florida, along with our out-of-state visitors, will be paying for it f-o-r-e-v-e-r. It will n-e-v-e-r pay for itself. Never. Ever.

I don't really have a dog in this hunt, but does a new highway, other than a toll road, ever pay for itself?

 

[WebmasterCricket]

Wouldn't it be cheaper just to move the airport?

 

[KNWVIKING]

**"I don't really have a dog in this hunt, but does a new highway, other than a toll road, ever pay for itself?"**

Toll roads eventually pay for themselves,but have you ever seen a toll road- once it's paid for- stop being a toll road ? I never have. That would mean laying off hundreds of people. So even though a toll road pays for itself, we NEVER stop paying for it.

 

[Douglas Dubh]

I don't really have a dog in this hunt, but does a new highway, other than a toll road, ever pay for itself?

Yes. Highways are paid for by gas taxes in most states, and by the federal government. In fact, gas taxes often generate more than are spent on roadways, and are used to fund bicycle paths and mass transit, or are diverted to general funds. New highways increase productivity, and therefore increase incomes, resulting in more revenues to government.

 

[DVCDAVE]

Toll roads eventually pay for themselves,but have you ever seen a toll road- once it's paid for- stop being a toll road ? I never have. That would mean laying off hundreds of people. So even though a toll road pays for itself, we NEVER stop paying for it.

YES !!!! The Peoples' Republic of Conn. removed the tolls over 10 years ago. Anyone who ever traveled I-95 or the Merritt Pwkwy remembers them well, and the traffic jams, and pollution they caused.

Tolls are nothing but double taxation anyway, as you already pay for the roads through your gasoline and diesel fuel taxes, battery and tire excise taxes, vehicle registration taxes, and driver's liscense fees.

 

[All Aboard]

Jacksonville did it too. It was the late 1980's if I recall correctly, eliminated the tolls on the bridges. I believe a mayor ran on a platform of "if the public has paid for them, why should they keep paying for them?"

As for the bullet train, like Mr. Pirate, I doubt it will happen soon but it may eventually. I am hopeful that it does not.

Consider the budget for the Miami Metrorail system - $10 million in revenue, $61 million in expense.

I am already paying for one transit system that I don't use, I'd sure hate to pay for another.

footnote - I was not tricked, I was careful to vote against it.

 

[DC7800]

Originally posted by DancingBear
I don't really have a dog in this hunt, but does a new highway, other than a toll road, ever pay for itself?

All forms of transportation - road, rail, air, etc. - are subsidized by our tax dollars. It makes little difference if the money comes from a dedicated trust fund, such as the gas tax which suports our highways, income or sales taxes, user fees, or whatever. The final cost will remain the same. No passenger rail system in the world makes money, or even breaks even before subsidy. But that really isn't the point, for the Florida train or any other rail project, since no other transportation mode covers its own costs either.

An efficient and effective transportation system makes use of all three modes of transport. While there is no doubt that central Florida is deserving of a dramatically improved rail system, this "bullet train" project may not be the solution. Rather than such a speedy - and expensive - totally new train, an incremental approach might work better. People are just not used to taking the train between Orlando (airport) and WDW/Tampa; better to get a conventional (79 mph) service established and then improve it in stages.

Finally, there's Bombardier. I have more confidence in Michael Eisner's creativity and skill (which is nearly zero) than I do in Bombardier to design and build a reliable high-speed train (the Acela being an unreliable piece of junk).

 

[mitros]

I was also "not tricked" into voting for it, but an awfull lot of folks here in Florida were!

 

[Snowgod]

How was anyone tricked into voting? I always believed that is my obligation to inform myself as to the issues.

 

[raidermatt]

It does look like Disney got its way here...

If I remember correctly, the preferred plan was to merely have WDW be one of the stops, but Disney threatened to not allow a WDW station unless they were the only stop.

Without a WDW station, it doesn't seem the line would have a prayer of generating the needed revenue.

One logisitical question... should the train actually be built, I certainly would consider using it instead of the shuttle services, but has there been any discussion on how luggage would work? Would we need to stand at a platform with all of our "stuff" (considerable for us as our stays are usually about 2 weeks, and we bring golf clubs), then shove it all on?

Maybe that type of detail hasn't even been looked at, but just curious.

Thanks...

 

[Peter Pirate]

Matt, the riders will be forced to ride the train and the luggage will be left at the terminal for seperate transport where it will actually be thrown into a big room and divided up between airport and train personnel...Note: Don't bring your Callaway Golf Clubs...

 

[raidermatt]

Hmmm... the train may not work for us after all... We'll see. It is airport personnel that handle the clubs (not Callaway's by the way, but I'm still not anxious to be forced into replacing them), so maybe...

Again, we'll see... if it ever actually gets built.