Florida High Speed Rail (Miami, Tampa: credit, unemployed, gated)

[Johan1983]

Originally Posted by Kevin from Tampa

I'll jump back in to this thread and say it again...until the major connecting points on a high speed rail have light rail systems of their own, then high speed rail is just dumb.

Also, it's not high speed if it stops every 15 minutes. That line from Tampa to Orlando stops in what...Plant City, Lakeland twice Tampa twice, and then three times in Orlando? How is that high speed?

Ideally, if you want rail in Florida, it has to work like this...

1-The 4 major population hubs...Jax, Orlando, Tampa Bay, South Florida...have to have light rail systems in place. Even limited ones are fine...in Tampa for example...just have a system that runs from the airport to downtown and then around that immediate south Tampa area and up to USF. But something like that has to be in place first.
2-Then, start building high speed lines between those hubs...with NO STOPS IN BETWEEN.

You forgot one thing, the line should start in Pinellas, then one (or twice) stops in Tampa.

Pinellas is what brings people to tampa so they should be careful about Pinellas county

[Jimrob1]

So is this Rail Line actually going to be built or is it just talk? If so when does the construction start? It sounds like from reading all this. Its in the planning and design stage, and mabye it will get built sometime but who knows when.

[BucFan]

TAMPA — Gov. Rick Scott's decision to hit the pause button on high-speed rail in Florida has created a void that is quickly getting filled with reports questioning the viability of the project.

As Gov. Scott pauses, two studies question viability of high-speed rail project - St. Petersburg Times

[FloridaKash]

Originally Posted by BucFan

TAMPA — Gov. Rick Scott's decision to hit the pause button on high-speed rail in Florida has created a void that is quickly getting filled with reports questioning the viability of the project.

As Gov. Scott pauses, two studies question viability of high-speed rail project - St. Petersburg Times

Its political back and forth stuff like this is what is causing America to become weaker and weaker each year. The Chinese have built their high speed rail system and are still expanding it. I am sure they have some lines that are not full of riders, but it connects the system as a whole.

I think studies are looking at this wrong. I also think politicians are fighting high speed rail because they have received donations from regional airline and bus transportation companies to do so.

Picture this, you are a resident our a tourist. You have landed in Orlando and want to visit Tampa. You have a couple of options. Take a bus, rent a car or take high speed rail which is faster and cheaper than the other two (not to mention, you get to ride on a super cool, super fast and modern train). The train takes you to TIA. From there you take a shuttle or a cab to your hotel.

Eventually the rail would go from Tampa - Orlando - Port Canaveral - FLL - Miami. Now, if I could go to the airport, park my car and jump on a high speed train to catch a cruise out of Miami in lieu of flying or driving.... I would in a heartbeat. It would be way cheaper than flying (family of 5) and much quicker than driving.... plus I don't have to drive. Do you think this scares bust transit and airlines that have routes in the state? Of course it does.

But hey, its the American way now. What if, what about that, we could make it better, blah blah blah. No wonder we're no longer the innovative country we once were. We no longer take any sort of risk and have become way too passive. No to mention, our politicians allow corporations to persuade them every single day.

[FloridaKash]

Just searched contributions to Rick Scott... Surprise, Surprise. These are Rick Scott's Inauguration Donors that would lose out on money should high speed rail become a reality. Disney and Universal have no intentions on making it easier for people to leave their properties/Orlando that would mean tourists would spend money elsewhere.

These are only the ones I could pick out from glancing at the list. Mayeb you can find more?


Disney Worldwide Services, Inc., $25,000
Universal City Development Partners, LTD, $25,000
Mears Destination Services, Inc., $5,000
Expedia, Inc., $5,000
United Automobile Insurance Co., $25,000


http://quinnell.us/sspb/?p=9833

[Jimrob1]

Nice state to visit but.

[Kevin from Tampa]

Originally Posted by Johan1983

You forgot one thing, the line should start in Pinellas, then one (or twice) stops in Tampa.

Pinellas is what brings people to tampa so they should be careful about Pinellas county

No, just have a metro-area light rail (metro area meaning the lines go to St Pete, Clearwater, Tampa).

I agree that the beaches in Pinellas are a huge draw, but it doesn't make sense to end a high speed rail line there...it makes more sense to end it in Tampa and then have light rail connections to all the rest of the area.

High speed rail lines should have 4 terminuses...one in South Florida (Ft Lauderdale probably makes the most sense), Orlando, Tampa, and Jax.

I could maybe see a case for a line to Tallahassee as well.

[Kevin from Tampa]

Originally Posted by FloridaKash

Its political back and forth stuff like this is what is causing America to become weaker and weaker each year. The Chinese have built their high speed rail system and are still expanding it. I am sure they have some lines that are not full of riders, but it connects the system as a whole.

I think studies are looking at this wrong. I also think politicians are fighting high speed rail because they have received donations from regional airline and bus transportation companies to do so.

Picture this, you are a resident our a tourist. You have landed in Orlando and want to visit Tampa. You have a couple of options. Take a bus, rent a car or take high speed rail which is faster and cheaper than the other two (not to mention, you get to ride on a super cool, super fast and modern train). The train takes you to TIA. From there you take a shuttle or a cab to your hotel.

Eventually the rail would go from Tampa - Orlando - Port Canaveral - FLL - Miami. Now, if I could go to the airport, park my car and jump on a high speed train to catch a cruise out of Miami in lieu of flying or driving.... I would in a heartbeat. It would be way cheaper than flying (family of 5) and much quicker than driving.... plus I don't have to drive. Do you think this scares bust transit and airlines that have routes in the state? Of course it does.

But hey, its the American way now. What if, what about that, we could make it better, blah blah blah. No wonder we're no longer the innovative country we once were. We no longer take any sort of risk and have become way too passive. No to mention, our politicians allow corporations to persuade them every single day.

Why is a tourist who is visiting the beaches fly in to Orlando?

I do not see any high speed rail lines being used by tourists on any sort of mass basis. I just can't see it. I'm picturing a family of 5 from Nebraska making their itinerary out for a Florida vacation...I just don't see them saying "and we can use the train to visit other places!"

People take vacations to Florida and do one of two things...

1-Go to Orlando and stay there the whole time
2-Get a hotel on the beach and stay there the whole time

No one wants to hassle with getting to a train station, buying train tickets, waiting for the train to arrive and depart, shlepping a bunch of luggage around, etc. That just isn't going to happen.

Any such train will be used in these ways-
1-Business travellers who might otherwise have flown and rented a car.
2-People who can't afford a car and need to get between major hubs
3-People who are going to see relatives and don't want to drive

That's about it. The only reason I see for doing this is because it MIGHT make Florida look progressive...but I can also easily see this thing becoming a heavily subsidized white elephant, with no one riding it and newspaper editorials saying "Can Florida's High Speed Rail Stay on Track?"

[BucFan]

With our Fed gov't so far in debt, this project can't be paid for - simple as that. It's doesn't make sense.

[FloridaKash]

Originally Posted by Kevin from Tampa

People take vacations to Florida and do one of two things...

1-Go to Orlando and stay there the whole time
2-Get a hotel on the beach and stay there the whole time

No one wants to hassle with getting to a train station, buying train tickets, waiting for the train to arrive and depart, shlepping a bunch of luggage around, etc. That just isn't going to happen.

Any such train will be used in these ways-
1-Business travellers who might otherwise have flown and rented a car.
2-People who can't afford a car and need to get between major hubs
3-People who are going to see relatives and don't want to drive

Incorrect.

Orlando sells a flex ticket, which is actually quite popular. It allows you to visit up to six parks during your visit, one of them being Busch Gardens. Once people visit Busch Gardens they are also likely to go to the beach for a day since they are already here.

Maybe I have a different perspective since I am a new resident here, drive around the state a quite a bit for family entertainment (over 1500 mile since October) and would rather have the family on a fast train instead of driving (even if it costs a little bit more).

Unfortunately, I support the train but many others do not. Just like many like to eat mushrooms but I do not. I wish our leaders would actually lead, do the unpopular thing that will pay dividends in the future instead of always trying to be popular and line their pockets.

We as a country are so short sighted now. Sure, a high speed train may not be popular in the first 5 years it is built. But once it become ingrained into those that live here it will be popular in 10 - 15 years.