Not sure what the usefulness of this will be. Unless it's going to connect DLR and Gardenwalk with the third gate/way off site parking lot/former strawberry fields, OR ; John Wayne Airport. ; To do the latter it will have to leave Anaheim.
I would love to see a line between John Wayne and the DLR. ; That would make it so much easier to get to/from the airport and may make that airport more of a preferred entry point
That's why I mentioned it. ; Unfortunately the hours of the airport will still be limited (thanks <a href="http://www.orangecountygreatpark.org/">Great Park</a>). Meanwhile my choices are mainly to connect via DFW, Southwest via PHX or LAS, or just take Jet Blue direct to Long Beach. ; Which is closer than LAX, and it's just a hop on the 22 and straight on to Harbor Blvd.
I am wondering were in Downtown Anaheim a station of this size would go. The downtown area has been redeveloped over the years and there is not much if any real open land in downtown unless the new Platinum Triangle is now considered downtown. The Anaheim Stadium station is already considered the connection to a high speed rail to Las Vegas (I hope they finally build that one day) and is the line for both the Pacific Surf Liner and the Metro. BTW if you want a day trip to San Diego, try the Pacific Surfliner, it's a nice trip. They also mention an extension of the Disneyland Monorail, has anyone heard of this or is it the first announcement? I would be surprised that a public station funded with public money would allow a direct connection to a private rail at the same terminal. The Magic Express is just another bus service paying for the right to pick up and drop off in Orlando. California has some strange laws and rules about rail but it would be nice. The wording is also not real clear. Connections for example might mean you need to take a taxi or bus form the station to the connecting service such as an airport. Many castmembers use the Anaheim Metro station for their way to work and then use a shuttle to get to DL. Guests could also do the same if traveling by Amtrak. The hours at John Wayne (SNA) have nothing to do with the Great Park btw. The hours they operate have been that way since I was a kid in the 70's as far as I can remember, maybe even earlier. It's a result of the NIMBY's in the bluffs of Newport Beach mainly. Its the only airport I know that decelerates while in a takeoff climb and its because the residents in the area. Most who were probably not even there before the airport was built. I read an article a while back that said the FEDS would not permit another airport with hours like John Wayne's again. ; It can be a pain in the ass with connecting flights. On at least two occasions I have almost been bumped to LAX because of connection problems at O'Hare (I HATE THAT AIRPORT) and because of mechanical delays elsewere. Then you end up on a bus back to the OC. Long Beach is a nice easily accessible airport. I don't fly out of it a lot because their flights to FL are limited and make multiple stops. I like LAX's non-stops. Long Beach flies a lot of non-stops to the North East, for example we flew non stop to Boston, but no non stops to Orlando. Come on! HOK is a very well known firm that designs a lot of sport complexes and I would for the most part take them on their word but this information seems to be a multiple source article and I do not see any sources sites. Why do so many blog "journalist" think sources are not important? They quote one from HOK but nothing from Anaheim officials or Disney. They are mention they are getting the "critical infrastructure in place......." Do they mean figuratively in place down the line or right now? I have not seen any. I love the idea, we just need more info.
I didn't feel the need to go into details about the "Keeping voting until we stop the El Toro International Airport" fight (was there for that, irritated that the voters were allowed to do that); that airport would have taken pressure off John Wayne. ; It's lovely driving on the 405 when they're landing. But your note about the design is well taken, I know the Great Park crowd thinks (maybe THOUGHT) that Camp Pendleton would be a great place to build one, where you have a mountain on one side and the ocean on another. ; Imagine having a runway with no escape route. Not going to happen. I had heard of the LA to LV rail line, I know it's high on the list competing for shovel-ready[nb]Mmm okay....[/nb] rail infrastructure from the stimulus package. ; And I had forgotten about Platinum Triangle[nb]NFL Stadium site area, I know Anaheim didn't get the nod[/nb], that was a good El Torito there that they tore down.
First to the original post. My friends at the Monorail Society http://www.monorails.org/ gave me a few links to check out. http://www.anaheim.net/section.asp?id=164 & http://www.octa.net/M2Project.aspx?EntryId=343&TabId=1331 which has information about ARTIC. The station is NOT in downtown Anaheim as I suspected, but adjacent to the Pond of Anaheim and Anaheim Stadium. I think they are now considered part of the Platinum Triangle. The writer from JambleMag.com must not be familiar with Anaheim area. I sat through an urban design meeting about the PT and it came about because Anaheim did not have a proper downtown for a parade for the World Series Champion Angels a few years back. They are supposed to build a street with live/work type building right up to the stadium from the 5 freeway. I think that's Gene Autry Drive. The Great Park is turning into the Great Debacle. The Marines operated safely there for over 40 years and a new airport seem perfect for that location. NIMBY's again. I think the Great Park would have been better at the old Tustin Marine Helicopter Base. They have two historic Blimp hangers, one which may be torn down even though its on the Historic Register, and would have been a perfect place for an Air & Space Museum. There is/was plenty of land for the park and has fairly easy freeway acccess on two sides and a toll road right next to it. The runways they are tearing up at El Toro are up to 4 feet thick or more and that's has been a huge issue of money and time. Th major issue with the LA to LV rail is the El Cajon Pass. Trains have to move very slowly because of the grade. I think the trains are limited to 1 to 2% grade. There si an alternate proposal for a Victorville to Vages line now. I got stopped for an interview about it on the way back from Vegas a couple of week ago in Baker. The first proposals were monorails or Maglev. But for some reason, unions and lobbying by rails probably, they want to switch it to high speed rail now. Thus the issue at the Cajon Pass. Monorails are viewed as amusement park rides in this country from some reason and thats somethig the Monorail Society is tryinhg to change.
Aren't they multi-purposing the Blimp Base? ; It's nice to see it every time I watch Pearl Harbor, and when I was still living there I know there were plans for a museum in one, space for a high school, and housing to be built on the base.
This sounds an awful lot like the talk that circulated a few years back about the High Speed train that would link Orlando International to a Transportation Center which would be built on the WDW Property. Anyone else ever heard about that?
I think Disney nixed it because it was going to go to USF and I-Drive area as well, so it wouldn't be the "you can't go off property" rail they wanted. Besides I'm sure it's still in their master plan to open Reedy Creek Airport. ; Someday.
When ; I was still at Disney we were told about a high speed rail from Miami through Orlando and pass or near. Disney. The big problem with high speed rail is it tends to slow down when every city wants a stop and then rights of ways become issues. That what we heard killed the Florida one. Who really knows.
