[kyle19125]

Originally Posted by chopchop0

Chevy bolt is already out,, model 3 is coming this year, both starting at $35k before tax credits from the government.

Remember, people said Tesla could never make a long distance luxury EV in the first place, let alone take market share from the established player.

Autonomous tech is much further along than you think.., just ask someone who's got a lot of skin in the game.

The Bolt isn't exactly setting the automobile industry on fire, selling just 1K heavily discounted cars a month nationwide. Americans don't seem interested and with gas prices no where near what is paid in Europe and other markets, there's little incentive to change for most and oil production/reserves don't seem anywhere near levels of concern for the foreseeable future. Coupled with the US government in bed with oil interests, I wouldn't look for any increased environmental regulations or taxation to change that either.

[tinytrump]

Originally Posted by Exus

beautiful, love progress, backwards FL's West Coast will never see any progress...

West coast 99% retirees. They want nothing... Nothing to bother their taxes -property -commute etc .

[Libertad06]

Any information on how much this is going to cost to use from stop to stop?

[Bobdreamz]

Originally Posted by kapikap

So much noise for 4 stops? I would be in applause if it was an actual commuter line, with 30 stops, or at least stopping in every other town along the way.

So now, leave the car, take the train, then rely an taxi/bus to the final destination.

I would love to see a full service system with ability to connect most of the state. Now thats progress!.

Jacksonville to naples? Clearwater to miami?
Or destin to ft laurderdale? That would be intresting.

We all know about the dependancy on cars, and how much hate for the busses.But lets take a cue from the major cities across the country, and figure out how to make it happen in florida.

BrightLine is not supposed to be a "Commuter" line but a Intra-city rail line to get people from Miami to Orlando in about 3 hours so having multiple stops would defeat that purpose.

The Miami metro already has a commuter rail line with Tri-Rail servicing 3 out of the 4 stops on Brightline with 18 stations in SE Florida and will connect in downtown Miami.


http://images1.miaminewtimes.com/ima...ildowntown.jpg

The second Tri-Rail line on the Florida East Coast Railway corridor ( the BrightLine tracks), dubbed the "Coastal Link", is being planned, and is to be operational by 2020.

BrightLine is using & improving the railroad tracks it already owns on the Florida East Coast Railroad and will build 40 miles of new tracks to connect Cocoa & Orlando at OIA.
The company also has future plans to connect Orlando to Tampa and proceed north from Cocoa to Jacksonville.
Remember this is being privately funded.

Your point about "final destination" is important too ! When Brightline reaches Orlando at the airport hopefully the 3rd. phase of SunRail will connect both by then.

The other cities you mentioned to be connected in the future really need to work on their local mass transit. I heard there are cities on the west coast that don't even have buses !

[jambo101]

I havent done any studies on a Miami/Orlando train but at a driving time of 3 and a half hours and a tank of gas i'd suspect most people would opt for the convenience of driving their own car.of particular importance is getting to the station and at the end of the trip getting to ones destination and then getting around once there..

[kyle19125]

Originally Posted by jambo101

I havent done any studies on a Miami/Orlando train but at a driving time of 3 and a half hours and a tank of gas i'd suspect most people would opt for the convenience of driving their own car.of particular importance is getting to the station and at the end of the trip getting to ones destination and then getting around once there..

Especially on the Orlando end where transit isn't really in place to get one anywhere. The Lynx Bus will be kind of a drag after a state-of-the-art train...

[chopchop0]

Originally Posted by kyle19125

Especially on the Orlando end where transit isn't really in place to get one anywhere. The Lynx Bus will be kind of a drag after a state-of-the-art train...

Which is why autonomous EVs are the future

This isn't Europe where the countries are smaller and mass transit is at a level to be useful

[kyle19125]

Originally Posted by chopchop0

Which is why autonomous EVs are the future

This isn't Europe where the countries are smaller and mass transit is at a level to be useful

Which should be rephrased that Florida and most of the Sunbelt isn't like Europe or the urbanized areas of the US where mass transit is valued and utilized. I have a hard time believing that minus the ability to value transit applications in their current form, that car-happy/gas-happy areas of the country are suddenly going to embrace the autonomous technologies. It certainly doesn't mesh with current mindsets or any kind of evolution of that.

[chopchop0]

Originally Posted by kyle19125

Which should be rephrased that Florida and most of the Sunbelt isn't like Europe or the urbanized areas of the US where mass transit is valued and utilized. I have a hard time believing that minus the ability to value transit applications in their current form, that car-happy/gas-happy areas of the country are suddenly going to embrace the autonomous technologies. It certainly doesn't mesh with current mindsets or any kind of evolution of that.

The free market will do it. Reference my link above. Autonomous Will likely carry much lower insurance premiums and electric cars are already cheaper to own and fuel. Based on fpl rates,, our family ev costs 3-4 cents per mile driven and no oil/filter changes

[kyle19125]

Originally Posted by chopchop0

The free market will do it. Reference my link above. Autonomous Will likely carry much lower insurance premiums and electric cars are already cheaper to own and fuel. Based on fpl rates,, our family ev costs 3-4 cents per mile driven and no oil/filter changes

I get your appreciation for it but look around you. Floridians have never been accused of being progressive and again unless fossil fuel prices approach $5 a gallon (which doesn't seem anywhere eminent) can guarantee they won't be lining up for an EV in lieu of their prized SUVs or pickup trucks.