SunRail

[Go Gators]

You wouldn't happen to be a local TV news anchor, would you?

haha no, but everything is looking good up here. Almost done.

[JFW657]

At least Charlie isn't selling any of our Senate seats....Its funny how we can't see past the liberal media stories and find some good,...he is a good guy and he has the publics interest at heart, despite what the media would have you believe.

Well to challenge that assertion here would be to engage in a political debate in a forum where political debates are off topic & serve no purpose. So feel free to view Charlie Crist in any light you please, non-existent "liberal media" notwithstanding, & I'll do the same.

[jack]

No such thing as a liberal media. Just a group that loves controversy.

[facilities man]

No such thing as a liberal media.

You've GOT to be kidding...

[bulldogger]

vs. Govt run news?

[jack]

Maybe liberalish media. Whenever I ask someone to point out why media is liber or conservative, the examples I always get are opinion writers and editorials.

The way I see it is that there are so many ways to get a message out in so many forms of media, I could careless if they are liberal anyway. Unless it is so bad that it loses all credibility.

[WeNeed2Progress]

Maybe liberalish media. Whenever I ask someone to point out why media is liber or conservative, the examples I always get are opinion writers and editorials.

The way I see it is that there are so many ways to get a message out in so many forms of media, I could careless if they are liberal anyway. Unless it is so bad that it loses all credibility.

That goes both ways. Bias, whether liberal or conservative are hurting "sources" for news and events.

[facilities man]

Read Bernie Goldbergs book, "Bias". He offers a great insiders view of the liberal bias in the media. It's unbelievable.

[cwetteland]

Read Bernie Goldbergs book, "Bias". He offers a great insiders view of the liberal bias in the media. It's unbelievable.

But first read this review.

[facilities man]

That's great.. A leftist review on a book pointing out leftist bias... What did you think it would say?

Read the book and make up your own mind. That's the point.... Don't let any news media tell you what to think. They are supposed to be there to REPORT the news, not give you their opinion. I can form my own opinion. Just give me the facts....

Sorry for taking this so off topic...

[GregoryMCSE]

Here is some optimism from the Orlando Sentinel. Please click on the link for the whole story.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/opinio...0,2570714.story

We think: Commuter rail's back on track, thanks to efforts of local leaders

December 14, 2008

Just because it's the right thing for Florida doesn't mean lawmakers in Tallahassee will support it.

Commuter rail's the right thing, and the Legislature opposed it last May.

Commuter rail would remove cars and SUVs from Central Florida's gridlocked roads by giving commuters an environmentally friendly alternative. It's cheap, costing a fraction of a new lane of highway and a bargain for riders with round-trip fares averaging $2.50.

And the 61-mile route, slated to run from DeLand through Orlando to Poinciana, should spawn other rail systems. That's why business groups in Tampa and Jacksonville are supporting it.

The Legislature, however, stalled it. Senators caved to threats made against them by trial lawyers who despise limits the system would place on their ability to sue in case of accidents. And they failed to set straight a host of deceptive claims leveled against it by commuter rail's lead opponent, Sen. Paula Dockery of Lakeland.

Today, commuter rail's lead advocates insist they're better prepared to get it through Tallahassee. They're not taking what's right for Florida for granted. But just how likely are they to deliver it?.....

Edited December 15, 2008 by GregoryMCSE

[GregoryMCSE]

Here is some pessimism from the Orlando Sentinel. Please click on the link for the whole story.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/community/n...,4284173.column

OrlandoSentinel.com

COMMENTARY

Why can't we get rail? One word: Boneheads

Mike Thomas

COMMENTARY

December 14, 2008

All aboard?

We have this jinxed relationship with choo-choos.

Whether it is light rail or commuter rail, we get all the planning done, get the money lined up, get the Editorial Board fired up and then -- bam! -- we get chopped off at the caboose.

To quote Thomas the Tank Engine: "Bust my buffers!"

But keeping hope alive, the political powers that be are preparing to shop their commuter train in the Legislature next session after getting rejected earlier this year.

The planned 61-mile route would link four Central Florida counties.

It is not often that you can buy a mass-transit corridor through the heart of an urban blob. It would be like giving an amoeba a backbone.

And then to this backbone we would attach ribs -- smaller rail lines or shuttle buses -- creating at least a disjointed structure to our budding Los Angeles.

Tying our future to Interstate 4 commutes is like tying a rock around our necks and jumping in Lake Apopka.....

[sunshine]

A 300K logo.

[codypet]

A 300K logo.

And to think we could have save ourselves the 300K if we went with I-4 Alternative Rapid Transit.

[JRS1]

had I known, I would've designed the logo for $200k and it would've looked better than those.

[Go Gators]

Here is some optimism from the Orlando Sentinel. Please click on the link for the whole story.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/opinio...0,2570714.story

We think: Commuter rail's back on track, thanks to efforts of local leaders

Its a done deal.

[JRS1]

Its a done deal.

now that's a language I can understand.

the beauty of it is that for the next two to four years there will be infill projects being developed all up and down that corridor; Ravinia is very close to where that Maitland station is supposed to go, for example. this is the kind of thing that can get lenders off their tails and developments pushed through. it could foster yet another speculator market to some degree ala transit oreinted developments and the demand that follows (or at least the perception of such).

[sunshine]

somehow i think the ridership will be extremely low at the beginning until it connects to I-drive.

What is the total number of people that work in downtown?

[JFW657]

Read Bernie Goldbergs book, "Bias". He offers a great insiders view of the liberal bias in the media. It's unbelievable.

Yeah, I'm sure those last two words describe that book precisely.

Edited December 18, 2008 by JFW657

[lala67]

somehow i think the ridership will be extremely low at the beginning until it connects to I-drive.

What is the total number of people that work in downtown?

Off the top of my head, I think around 55,000 workers downtown. That's a lot of people.

That stat was from a few yrs ago, I went to downtown orlando's website and there are 62,000 people working within 1 mile of the CBD as of 2007. Here's a link to the pdf

Lots of interesting demographics.

[jack]

The number is slightly different in relation to the commuter rail. Between the 4 stops in or around downtown, there are more employees.But you have to subtract a portion because people will not walk more then 5 minutes from the stop to their destination.

[OCF]

I think initial ridership should be pretty high if not just for the novelty of the whole thing. But I do feel that a bigger share of the ridership will come from non-job commuters than expected. For example, I really feel both Hospital stops, FL Hosp and ORMC, will get heavy traffic due to the amount of people who need to used this facilities but aren't able to drive. I also think evening riders, Magic Fans, evening tripper to DT will use it quite often as parking is just so limited downtown, particularly for big events.

[facilities man]

If this system is linked with the bus service to run a loop similar to the free loop in downtown in such areas as Maitland center or Altamonte Springs you'll have more ridership there too.

[JFW657]

I like the one on the right.

More colorful than the other & I like the name better.

I hope they choose it.

Edited December 20, 2008 by JFW657

[bulldogger]

The one on the left looks like they were trying to incorporate UCF somehow.