OSCAR anybody?

[orlandouprise]

After seeing Atlanta open its new streetcar in DT ATL, it made wonder about the possibility of resurrecting the old Orlando Streetcar (OSCAR) idea. Why not turn the Lymmo line into something with a little more charm like the old streetcar or even something sleeker like the ATL version. With all the new venues, restaurants and residents... DT is prime for something like this... no?

[mcn11]

I think building a street car line along the lymmo lines would be great. People are much more likely to ride a street car than a city bus.

[sunshine]

Can they build streetcar from Downtown to Millenia?

[popsiclebrandon]

After seeing Atlanta open its new streetcar in DT ATL, it made wonder about the possibility of resurrecting the old Orlando Streetcar (OSCAR) idea. Why not turn the Lymmo line into something with a little more charm like the old streetcar or even something sleeker like the ATL version. With all the new venues, restaurants and residents... DT is prime for something like this... no?

It was one of the idea suggestions that came out of our DTO meetings. At the very least re-do the current Lymmo buses to make them look and feel different from the pay bus routes.

[Pete C]

I know the dark tinted windows on Lymmo busses keep the interior cool, but I think they need to drop them if they want more people to hop on board. People are weary enough of homeless people around downtown in broad daylight. The last thing they want to do is board a bus where nobody from the outside can see what is happening inside.

[prahaboheme]

Does anyone know the recent ridership numbers for Lymmo?  The last numbers I saw several years ago had Lymmo ridership numbers well above Tampa's streetcar and the JAX mover. 

 

While I would love to see a streetcar system downtown, I wouldn't fix what isn't necessarily broken.  I think money would be better spent expanding SunRail service, and seeking out full-on light rail service between downtown and UCF, and then expanding light rail to Southeast Orlando / I-Drive.

[orlandouprise]

if I had to pick between the 2 designs, I would probably go with the more modern ATL version than the older Tampa design. The more modern look seems to look more cohesive with the modern flair of our new venues...

[Jernigan]

I was with you about the tinted windows - for a while I even thought they should be open air (remember, they are an alternative for walking a little further, not an alternative for driving)... But looking at the ATL Streetcar, even with the tint, it is awesome.

Ours just needs to look like something that's not a bus. That's the whole point of BRT. And we continue to blow it.

[HankStrong]

While I would love to see a streetcar system downtown, I wouldn't fix what isn't necessarily broken.  I think money would be better spent expanding SunRail service, and seeking out full-on light rail service between downtown and UCF, and then expanding light rail to Southeast Orlando / I-Drive.

 

The UCF to UCF (new campus) route deserves a lot of consideration.  This generation is most likely to use the service and it would certainly be a smart option, especially late night weekend runs to keep more drunks off the roads than the current busses do.

 

Another fun thing would be events at UCF would entirely more accessible to non-students.  Parking is INSANE out there.  Recent grads (the kind most likely to live downtown from the surveys linked here) could easily get to sporting events and more people could hit concerts, etc. out there.

 

Mighty expensive, though.

[sunshine]

I would put the downtown to Disney route ahead of UCF. There are not much between UCF and downtown. Putting a line just so that students can get drunk is really not the point of public transport.

 

Along the line from downtown to Disney, there are areas that residents work and shop. Plus, the 50 millions visitors might use them. Even 1 % of them use it to go from Disney to Millenia will eliminate a lot of "tourists driving" that we complained about. Universal, Millenia, I-drive, rosen can potentially chip in to help reduce cost. Sunrail is just going from nowhere to nowhere...

 

Just not to highjack this thread, I think a street car circulator will work. But I would opt for the line to go from Citrus Bowl all the way down to Baldwin Park.

[aent]

I think the UCF to UCF Downtown deserves a bit of consideration, I think it would be used by a lot more then you think. Infact, I think ideally. the maglev would follow the innovation way route to UCF, then turn back west, follow university to hit full sail, rollins/winter park, then go to downtown. There would be a ton of shopping, entertainment venues, places to work, and places to live along that route, along with room for new development designed along the route.

[HankStrong]

I would put the downtown to Disney route ahead of UCF. There are not much between UCF and downtown. Putting a line just so that students can get drunk is really not the point of public transport.

 

Just FYI... you took everything about the UCF to downtown line and turned into "just so that students can get drunk" which is a blatant oversimplification.  That would be a TINY TINY TINY smiley face on top of really nice concept.

 

There are a lot of benefits to it which would be business related, as well.  The entire UCF area is turning into quite a location for businesses, both large (Siemens) and small (tons of them) out there.

 

 

As aent said above... UCF, Full Sail, Rollins are also solid options.

 

Maybe you only truly need to run from downtown WP to UCF.  They could switch trains there and hit downtown?

[HankStrong]

Back on the actual topic.  I'm torn. 

 

1. I see the benefit to having specific vehicles for the Lymmo service, but the weather here is really nasty sometimes.  Open-air trolleys seem like a horrible idea. 

 

2. I also see the benefit to only having one style of bus for all routes.  It saves on training, maintenance, and allows you to yank vehicles out of service on a whim if you need to and use them on the other line as a fill-in.

[gibby]

I like the existing system.  I think the next money should go toward adding shelters to more stations (Publix!!), getting a better mobile app and getting the GPS to work better.  I also think the arrival time displays should be added to other stations in the future.  Once some of these next apartment projects are complete, we should have a decent number of folks located along the routes.

[mcn11]

I'd love to see lymmo extended up to the north quarter/north orange. There's so many apartments up there and even more being built. The closest lymmo stop of about a half mile away.

[alex]

I like the existing system.  I think the next money should go toward adding shelters to more stations (Publix!!), getting a better mobile app and getting the GPS to work better.  I also think the arrival time displays should be added to other stations in the future.  Once some of these next apartment projects are complete, we should have a decent number of folks located along the routes.

 

As much as I love streetcars, it's hard to argue with Lymmo: it comes every 4-10 minutes (better than most streetcars), the original line runs three miles (same as Atlanta's new line), and is funded solely through parking garage and parking meter revenues. 

 

That being said, I'd love to see a streetcar for the north and south expansions.  (Imagine a streetcar going down the middle of Colonial or Mills.)  But again, Lymmo will always be cheaper.  I just hope they continue with dedicated lanes as much as they can. 

[mcn11]

I agree on the designated lanes. Last time I took the grapefruit line over to publix, we got stuck at a light blocked by cars for four light cycles. Could've just walked to publix in less time.