Matt Posted May 3, 2021 Report Share Posted May 3, 2021 2 hours ago, twangster said: A Cocoa station and buses to the port would be the logical and more easily implemented solution. I could see that happening. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyfsu21 Posted May 6, 2021 Report Share Posted May 6, 2021 On 1/4/2020 at 3:37 PM, bobroo said: This comes from the mouth of an idiot but on a serious note, why doesn't RCL create a gondola-like mode of transportation (just like a ski lift) to/from an airport to a cruise terminal??? In a circumstance where they are very close together like Fort Lauderdale or San Juan or Tampa. Explain it off to the public that RCL is taking responsibility for it's passengers, reducing traffic congestion, eliminating chaos at the cruise terminal, and they are Saving Waves by reducing emissions on a meaningful scale. In comparison to other recent RCL projects like making their pier in Miami 200' longer, their new corporate headquarters, or "amplification" of an already existing revenue generating ship; some gondolas, some cable, and some access to public ROW would be comparatively cheap. At this point in time RCL spends hundreds of millions of dollars on each of many infrastructure improvements. A guy would like to think they wouldn't bat an eye to a cheap one that took responsibility for their passengers. Of course RCL would charge for the ride, just please God don't make it more than the cost of my flight. But I'm not very bright.... In Fort Lauderdale it would be more cost effective to pay the aliens to deliver passengers from FLL to the port in their flying disc. The only conceivable route would be the Dania cut off canal but there are 2 major obstacles with fixed bridges at US1 and also the FEC railroad fixed bridge rendering it unnavigable to anything of significance (especially at high tide). Taking into consideration Fort Lauderdale’s premium on land located near water it would cost billions not millions to replace a $6 Uber ride. WAAAYTOOO 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted July 20, 2021 Report Share Posted July 20, 2021 Brightline board approves Orlando to Tampa. https://www.wesh.com/article/brightline-board-approval/37081637 If it is ever built that puts all the major Florida cruise ports a train ride away. SpeedNoodles, LifesEz, Matt and 3 others 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokeybandit Posted July 20, 2021 Report Share Posted July 20, 2021 50 minutes ago, twangster said: Brightline board approves Orlando to Tampa. https://www.wesh.com/article/brightline-board-approval/37081637 If it is ever built that puts all the major Florida cruise ports a train ride away. Check back in 2031 to see if they've even broken ground yet WAAAYTOOO, AdvanceTripper, sammy79 and 2 others 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted July 20, 2021 Report Share Posted July 20, 2021 33 minutes ago, smokeybandit said: Check back in 2031 to see if they've even broken ground yet Now, now. If stars align it could be partially completed in 2030. Oh wait. Here come the environmental groups. Make that 2040. PPPJJ-GCVAB, jticarruthers, teddy and 4 others 1 5 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokeybandit Posted July 21, 2021 Report Share Posted July 21, 2021 Usa is a wonderful country but we really really suck at transportation projects Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ampurp85 Posted July 21, 2021 Report Share Posted July 21, 2021 Wow I actually didn't know this existed and was pleasantly surprised watching the videos. I like trains so this is a nice, inexpensive way to get around FL. @smokeybandit I totally agree. In Chicago they have been working on the Blue Line train stop that is along the way to my job. A project they started in 2019 and still not have finished. It adds 15min to my commute and they were working during the pandemic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PG Cruiser Posted July 21, 2021 Report Share Posted July 21, 2021 12 hours ago, smokeybandit said: Usa is a wonderful country but we really really suck at transportation projects I kind of felt this when I was on the train to Barcelona and another one to Toledo from my hotel in Madrid. My friends and I were able to go from city to city without ever renting a car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LovetoCruise87 Posted July 21, 2021 Report Share Posted July 21, 2021 On 5/3/2021 at 9:18 AM, Matt said: I think they are, or at least, it's going really close. I drove from Orlando to Port Canaveral this weekend, and the rail line follows the highway (Route 528) east from Orlando International Airport to the coast, before turning south. Not sure if they are building a station or not, but it comes very close to the area that it could save time and money if they added a Cocoa Beach/Merritt Island stop. At one point they were planning on having a stop in Cocoa off US1 at the old train station that is there, but the last I read they decided against it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atricks Posted July 21, 2021 Report Share Posted July 21, 2021 34 minutes ago, LovetoCruise87 said: At one point they were planning on having a stop in Cocoa off US1 at the old train station that is there, but the last I read they decided against it. Recommended site for a station is off Clearlake Rd next to the Walmart and 528 https://spacecoasttpo.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/AAF-Station-Report-final.pdf Which is the closest point to the port, without actually building a new railroad directly to the port. (Although technically a railroad already exists and hooks up to Florida east coast railway north of Titusville, semi close to the port, it just comes in through KSC from the north and ends in Canaveral Air Station aka NASA Railway, it just goes by the launchpads.) There's a neat YouTube channel with a guy that updates on the Brightline construction with on site video a few times a week https://www.youtube.com/c/TheRoamingRailfan/videos if you haven't been keeping up you'd probably be surprised at how far along they are. LovetoCruise87 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LovetoCruise87 Posted July 21, 2021 Report Share Posted July 21, 2021 16 minutes ago, Atricks said: Recommended site for a station is off Clearlake Rd next to the Walmart and 528 https://spacecoasttpo.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/AAF-Station-Report-final.pdf Which is the closest point to the port, without actually building a new railroad directly to the port. (Although technically a railroad already exists and hooks up to Florida east coast railway north of Titusville, semi close to the port, it just comes in through KSC from the north and ends in Canaveral Air Station aka NASA Railway, it just goes by the launchpads.) There's a neat YouTube channel with a guy that updates on the Brightline construction video a few times a week https://www.youtube.com/c/TheRoamingRailfan/videos For me getting to the port is easy as I only live about 20 minutes away. It would be nice for those who fly in for cruising to be able to take a train to the port. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Posted July 21, 2021 Report Share Posted July 21, 2021 12 hours ago, smokeybandit said: Usa is a wonderful country but we really really suck at transportation projects The secret to a great, modern transportation system is to first have your entire country annihilated in a world war such that you need to rebuild everything from the ground up. Then, you have the perfect canvas to design thoroughfares that make sense given modern transportation needs! SpeedNoodles and stevendom57 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted July 21, 2021 Report Share Posted July 21, 2021 1 hour ago, Matt said: The secret to a great, modern transportation system is to first have your entire country annihilated in a world war such that you need to rebuild everything from the ground up. Umm. Vancity Cruiser 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokeybandit Posted July 21, 2021 Report Share Posted July 21, 2021 1 hour ago, Matt said: The secret to a great, modern transportation system is to first have your entire country annihilated in a world war such that you need to rebuild everything from the ground up. Then, you have the perfect canvas to design thoroughfares that make sense given modern transportation needs! While true, that was 70 years ago now. Other countries get new railways, highways, airports (except Germany, they're not good at airports), etc, done in far less time than in the USA. columbus_cruiser 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted July 21, 2021 Report Share Posted July 21, 2021 The West Palm to Orlando section would likely be a lot farther along if it wasn't for lawsuits that delayed construction. The West Palm to Fort Lauderdale section also endured legal action causing delays. The Central Florida Expressway Authority is already throwing a wrench in the Orlando to Tampa section: https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/transportation/os-ne-brightline-universal-cfx-route-20210720-3d7p4xnxyfenflzkvqa7qvj3dm-story.html The Central Florida Expressway Authority agreed unanimously Tuesday to delay indefinitely a decision over whether to allow Brightline Trains to build passenger rail beside the agency’s State Road 417 on the way from Orlando’s airport to Walt Disney World and Tampa. It seems competing interests want the track in another corridor and are invoking "wetlands" to support their cause. Revising my previous estimate from 2040 to 2050. WAAAYTOOO 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
columbus_cruiser Posted July 21, 2021 Report Share Posted July 21, 2021 I had a bit of time between a cruise ending and my flight home. I ended up taking the train from Miami to West Palm Beach and then back down to Fort Lauderdale for my flight home. Overall I really enjoyed it, the train was clean, seats were comfortable and there was room for luggage. I would gladly ride brightline again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barjpoe Posted July 21, 2021 Report Share Posted July 21, 2021 Is that the same line that they're putting in from MCO to Cape Canaveral? I was there a year ago February and saw some kind of construction along rt. 528. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Posted July 21, 2021 Report Share Posted July 21, 2021 1 hour ago, smokeybandit said: While true, that was 70 years ago now. Other countries get new railways, highways, airports (except Germany, they're not good at airports), etc, done in far less time than in the USA. Our transportation system is built around working around what's already here. Railways got set up in the 1800s, and since then urban sprawl has made adding new networks of mass transportation in today's age nearly impossible. Name a country that has a really good mass transportation system that wasn't decimated by a world war (and not subject to an totalitarian regime that can just emanate domain entire cities at will). I'd also point out those countries spend a fraction of their annual budget on national defense like the US does. If we could take billions from defense, mass transportation projects would be fully funded quite quickly! In short, there isn't enough cheap land to rethink what we have, in my completely unprofessional opinion. stevendom57, JimnKathy and joshgates 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlmondFarmer Posted July 21, 2021 Report Share Posted July 21, 2021 12 minutes ago, Matt said: Name a country that has a really good mass transportation system that wasn't decimated by a world war (and not subject to an totalitarian regime that can just emanate domain entire cities at will). Switzerland. USCG Teacher 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokeybandit Posted July 21, 2021 Report Share Posted July 21, 2021 29 minutes ago, Matt said: Our transportation system is built around working around what's already here. Railways got set up in the 1800s, and since then urban sprawl has made adding new networks of mass transportation in today's age nearly impossible. Name a country that has a really good mass transportation system that wasn't decimated by a world war (and not subject to an totalitarian regime that can just emanate domain entire cities at will). I'd also point out those countries spend a fraction of their annual budget on national defense like the US does. If we could take billions from defense, mass transportation projects would be fully funded quite quickly! In short, there isn't enough cheap land to rethink what we have, in my completely unprofessional opinion. I don't really mean the comprehensiveness of transportation infrastructure in the USA, just when new projects come up, just how long and painful of a project it is. Not really because of budget, but pre-construction approvals (environmental studies, right of way, NIMBYs), political fighting over funding and scope (you're not my party, therefore you can't have the money), union limitations, contractual failures (if anyone's in the DC area, you know the massive problems the Purple Line and Silver line have seen). AlmondFarmer 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted July 21, 2021 Report Share Posted July 21, 2021 Could you imagine trying to accomplish something like the Panama Canal in current times? It would never happen. teddy and WAAAYTOOO 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlmondFarmer Posted July 21, 2021 Report Share Posted July 21, 2021 11 minutes ago, twangster said: Could you imagine trying to accomplish something like the Panama Canal in current times? It would never happen. Possible in 2 steps: Step 1- Cede the land to China Step 2- wait 18 months for project to be completed disclaimer- some animals/workers may perish during construction and equipment used will not be compliant with latest emissions standards. WAAAYTOOO and Pooch 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokeybandit Posted July 21, 2021 Report Share Posted July 21, 2021 29 minutes ago, twangster said: Could you imagine trying to accomplish something like the Panama Canal in current times? It would never happen. I mean, technically, they did the Panama Canal in current times with the expansion project. Though it wasn't done in America obviously, but I can't imagine it'd have gotten done in 10 years from proposal to opening if it was an American project. WAAAYTOOO 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted July 21, 2021 Report Share Posted July 21, 2021 50 minutes ago, smokeybandit said: I mean, technically, they did the Panama Canal in current times with the expansion project. Though it wasn't done in America obviously, but I can't imagine it'd have gotten done in 10 years from proposal to opening if it was an American project. It's taking Brightline that long to lay parallel track within the existing railway roadbed down the coast from Cocoa to West Palm. WAAAYTOOO 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DunwoodyDad Posted July 22, 2021 Report Share Posted July 22, 2021 On 7/21/2021 at 10:15 AM, smokeybandit said: While true, that was 70 years ago now. Other countries get new railways, highways, airports (except Germany, they're not good at airports), etc, done in far less time than in the USA. OMG. Smokey, my family almost cries when remembering the craziness in the Frankfurt airport connecting from Rome to ATL. We were coming back from a trip to Italy and a 4 night cruise on Jewel OTS to the French Riviera which was beyond awesome. But the “bonus” day we spent in Frankfurt due the inefficiencies there almost stripped the joy from our trip memories for weeks afterwards.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted October 9, 2021 Report Share Posted October 9, 2021 Brightline Miami to Tampa by 2028. Orlando - Miami $100 one way. No Brevard station in the near term plans https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2021/10/09/brightline-planning-320-mile-florida-passenger-rail-route-from-miami-to-tampa-by-2028/ WAAAYTOOO 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlmondFarmer Posted October 9, 2021 Report Share Posted October 9, 2021 1 hour ago, twangster said: Orlando - Miami $100 one way. Flights can often be found for $49 one way. I know what I would choose. Kay45 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokeybandit Posted October 9, 2021 Report Share Posted October 9, 2021 1 hour ago, twangster said: Brightline Miami to Tampa by 2028. "I'll take 'Projects that will be 2-3 years late and hundreds of millions over budget' for $400, Alex" WAAAYTOOO and AlmondFarmer 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted October 11, 2021 Report Share Posted October 11, 2021 On 10/9/2021 at 2:41 PM, smokeybandit said: "I'll take 'Projects that will be 2-3 years late and hundreds of millions over budget' for $400, Alex" You can thank “business leaders” for that. https://www.bizjournals.com/southflorida/news/2021/10/07/i-drive-tourism-leaders-raise-stakes-on-brightline.html Apparently it’s a “threat to the community “ WAAAYTOOO 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jticarruthers Posted October 11, 2021 Report Share Posted October 11, 2021 Construction is visible along the side of the expressway between Port Canaveral and Orlando ... will be interesting to see how frequently the trains run, etc. Might be an option to drive over from Tampa, do a disney day and then train down to Miami. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atricks Posted October 11, 2021 Report Share Posted October 11, 2021 5 hours ago, jticarruthers said: Construction is visible along the side of the expressway between Port Canaveral and Orlando ... will be interesting to see how frequently the trains run, etc. Might be an option to drive over from Tampa, do a disney day and then train down to Miami. They had a train on the new track last week, delivering rail to expand it from that point It's pretty amazing when you realize each rail runs the entire length of all the cars and bends along with it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHMKfRuJGA0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokeybandit Posted February 18, 2023 Report Share Posted February 18, 2023 https://www.wesh.com/article/map-brightline-stations/42957874 After about 10 years of anticipation, Brightline officials have set the second quarter of 2023 as their target date for the grand opening of their station at Orlando International Airport. JohnK6404, WAAAYTOOO, USCG Teacher and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snotarni Posted February 20, 2023 Report Share Posted February 20, 2023 Having a station at or near the curve (from 528 where it meets the North South) in Cocoa would be a great add... I think there are plans, but nothing started yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted February 20, 2023 Report Share Posted February 20, 2023 2 hours ago, Snotarni said: Having a station at or near the curve (from 528 where it meets the North South) in Cocoa would be a great add... I think there are plans, but nothing started yet. Agreed but I don't think that's their target market. They want to cash in on getting Miami area residents and tourists to the theme parks in Orlando. Everything else, including the central coast is of little interest to them. Snotarni and WAAAYTOOO 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snotarni Posted February 21, 2023 Report Share Posted February 21, 2023 18 hours ago, twangster said: Agreed but I don't think that's their target market. They want to cash in on getting Miami area residents and tourists to the theme parks in Orlando. Everything else, including the central coast is of little interest to them. Makes a ton of sense... but it's still unfortunate; Selfishly, I'd love to pop down to Cocoa and take the train to the Airport (and back)... oh well, Beachline it is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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