Originally Posted By Rebekah This topic is for discussion of the 6/20/2003 news item <b><a href="http://www.naplesnews.com/03/06/florida/d941909a.htm" target="_blank">NaplesDaily: Disney's opponents upset over probable route of bullet train</a></b> The <I>Naples News</I> talks about the continuing debate over the route of a high speed train in Central Florida.
Originally Posted By pheneix Boy this whole "we only want what is best for the community" line that Disney and Universal are spouting off is a load of crap. Honestly I hope Jeb Bush just kills the damn thing and puts the money towards the "Save Cypress Gardens" fund.
Originally Posted By lesherb I can see Mears and the rental car companies having a problem with this, too. If this highspeed rail system (with a non stop line to WDW) makes a difference to the traffic situation in Orlando, then I think it's a great idea.
Originally Posted By TDLFAN This train system is a waste of money and it's only beneficial to the Theme Park crowd. I too hope Jeb Bush does somethng right for once and pull the plug on this.
Originally Posted By pipanale I've followed this story a little bit for a while and find it amusing. I love how WDW thinks they can just say "us and only us or go scratch". Then again, they may be able to say it... I have a question though. You've got to figure that the tracks would roughly follow I4, right? Won't they have to cross the property at some point? Disney has land south of I4 and 192 down near the Main Gate, right? I4 crosses the property down there, doesn't it? Would they allow the train? Would they have a choice in the matter, or could the state claim eminent domain and just take the land it needs? Or, would they dip south of Celebration to avoid the property all together?
Originally Posted By lesherb I heard a news blurb saying Governor Bush is going to veto the line about the high speed train. If it wasn't for Disney, no one would know where Orlando was! I don't know if that means the state has to make concessions or not. The government is not supposed to be in business (high speed rail). The more I think about it, the more I realize this is a big waste of money. We need a bypass around Orlando. 417 is supposed to do that on the east side but no one is going to consider a toll road to be a bypass. What about a bypass like they have around Washington D.C.? Sorry....had to go with my train of thought!
Originally Posted By pheneix >>>no one is going to consider a toll road to be a bypass<<< I do! It is worth every quarter not to have to deal with I-4!
Originally Posted By wahooskipper As a taxpayer I hope the bullet train bites the big one. They have no idea how much it will cost, no idea how many people will ride, and no idea what route they want to take. This doesn't comfort me.
Originally Posted By Wingman1162 I was wondering what Disney and/or Universal is planning to do financial wise to have the train stop at their park. I saw that Universal had threatened to do everything they could to kill the project if they didn't get their way. After looking at a map in todays newspaper, I was wondering why they can't just have the train stop between the two parks and build a spur to both (perhaps a monorail system or even just buses). I don't know what lies in the path between the parks, but surely both can be willing to bend a little. Just my two cents worth.
Originally Posted By lesherb Why should the people of Florida pay for a train to the theme parks? The residents aren't going to use it.
Originally Posted By lesherb Here is a brief article from WESH (the local Orlando NBC affiliate). Theme Parks Playing Chicken With Bullet Train Universal, SeaWorld Set To Fight Disney Over Route POSTED: 11:10 a.m. EDT June 22, 2003 LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Three central Florida theme parks are playing a dangerous game of chicken with an oncoming bullet train. A fight over a high-speed train route is pitting Disney World against Universal Orlando and SeaWorld Orlando. Disney's rivals say if they don't get a station, they say they may try to stop the train dead in its tracks. A state panel is expected to endorse a plan this week connecting Disney directly to Orlando International Airport as part of a line linking Orlando and Tampa. It would be the first leg of a statewide train system approved by Florida voters in 2000. That route would bypass Orlando's International Drive tourist district anchored by Universal on one end and SeaWorld on the other. They say the top priority should be serving a public facility -- such as the Orange County Convention Center. Disney disagrees.
Originally Posted By Wingman1162 Good site Mrhthompsn. Interesting design. Definately something to think about.
Originally Posted By Disneybrad "Why should the people of Florida pay for a train to the theme parks? The residents aren't going to use it." I think becuase Disney was one of the sites the Consitutional Amendment that was passed by the voters of Florida which dictated.
Originally Posted By TDLFAN Huh? Funny thought: Disney pulling on the bullet train fron one side, Universal pulling from the other end, just like a tug-of-war. The train snaps in the middle. Both Disney and Universal fall flat on their butt. Hehehehe... Nobody wins, except for the tax payers.
Originally Posted By SJHYM Its a moot point. Gov Bush has vetoed the rail system with the exception of some money for planning for potential stations for mass transit that could at some point be used for the train. I think this was a good decision. I have no problem with Mass Transit. I grew up on the subways. And one that would connect the airport with MANY of the tourist destinations might be a good thing. But to choose one over another is ludicrous. Central Florida needs a comprehensive transportation system. This was not it.
Originally Posted By pipanale FLA really does need a mass transit system, doesn't it? I'm from NJ, so having train service and knowing the NYC subways makes it seem so funny when I go there and see nothing. I'm surprised nothing was built back when Central FLA exploded to help all the people move about a little better. Instead, they built more toll roads than we have up here.
Originally Posted By Wingman1162 My personal theory as to why nothing was built back when Central Fla exploded is quite simple, the local and state government was not ready for it and probably believed that it would pass in a few years. I live in the Northeast part of Florida and we have been wrestling with this problem for the past few years. We have been experiencing the sprawl of Jacksonville entering the surrounding counties and by the time the local government gets around to doing something it is too little, too late and not effective (we recently expanded a road out to support a navy base that has been closed since before the expansion got started because it had been planned for 10 years earlier). The folks down in the Orlando area government probably thought the same thing and when the excessive expansion occured, their knee-jerk reaction was to build more roads. Personally I would LOVE to see some kind of mass transit for the more urban areas of Florida, especially Orlando, but until local and state governments pull their heads out of the ground and begin working to actually SOLVE the problems, it is just going to be status quo. Okay, I'm done ranting now.
Originally Posted By SJHYM I also think Central Floridians are not ready to give up our cars. I think our lifestyles makes it hard to do so. Orlando is one large sprawl. Makes it hard to have effective mass tramsit.
