Huntington Beach and Disneyland, partners in crime

[LittleDollClaudia]

An idea to build a transit line stretching from Disneyland to Huntington Beach could gain some momentum today.
Officials from five cities in north and west Orange County are hoping to score up to $250,000 in grant money from the Orange County Transportation Authority to study the possibility of a transit service connecting the tourist destinations, possibly along an existing railroad corridor.

"It's a difficult, long commute going from Huntington Beach to Anaheim, weaving through the cities," said David Webb, Surf City's deputy public works director. "The need for this is really strong. There's obviously a strong commuter connection, and the route connects two major tourism destinations."

But news of the idea has inflamed residents living near the railroad corridor in Huntington Beach. About 25 people plan to attend an OCTA board meeting today to protest, resident Shari Noriega said.

"It's extremely frustrating because we have vested interest in our city and … we're not being given any information about this," said Noriega, who is worried about the project's effect on property values.

The proposal is among those submitted by 18 cities vying for a share of grant money from OCTA's Go Local program. Each of Orange County's 34 cities was eligible for $100,000 grants, offered to encourage cities to think of ways to link to Metrolink lines.

The best plans will qualify for cash to fund further study. In all, $30 million is set aside.

"The goal of this program is to get people to think outside the box," OCTA spokeswoman Andrea West said. "The cities are the experts, so we're looking for them to tell us what they think would be the best."

Huntington Beach will head the project to evaluate possible transit lines stretching from the sand to Disneyland through Garden Grove, Stanton, Westminster and Anaheim.

The study will include evaluating the possibility of a transit line along 18 miles of Union Pacific Railroad tracks from the Metrolink station in Anaheim to the intersection of Ellis Avenue and Gothard Street in Huntington Beach. It will evaluate ways to move people to the beach and into the Disneyland Resort area and also will review other possible transportation routes.

The type of transportation – such as light rail, monorail or bus – also has not been determined. The study could take up to a year and a half to complete, Webb said.

Am I the only one that thinks this is a bad idea??

[Panther007]

i think it would be a better idea, for a high speed train (or even a monorail) that goes from Disney World, to Disney Land

they could even have select cities with select stops that could be the lucky winners that get a high speed rail line that has minimal stops to disney theme parks

they could have a big circle that goes from

Disney Land, New York, Charlotte, North Carolina; then to Disney World and then back to Disney Land

they could have 2 tracks that parallel eachother, trains on track 1 goes clockwise, while the trains on track 2 go the other way

[DLRFantasmic!Dan]

i think it would be a better idea, for a high speed train (or even a monorail) that goes from Disney World, to Disney Land

THe funny thing is, the "Disneyland Resort Line" made an April Fools' Joke announcement that they would begin contruction on a monorail from Disneyland to Disney World, lol!!

[AlpineDL]

Anything potentially spurring on the development of legitimate mass transit in the LA/OC area is good in my book. I'm 100% sure there is no larger metropolitan area in the world with such little mass transportation, and that's why it takes so many people an hour to go 8 miles to work.

[BirdMom]

Anything potentially spurring on the development of legitimate mass transit in the LA/OC area is good in my book. I'm 100% sure there is no larger metropolitan area in the world with such little mass transportation, and that's why it takes so many people an hour to go 8 miles to work.

I totally agree with you on this one. I grew up in H.B., my mom and brother's family still live there and I grit my teeth whenever I need to go see them from my home in Fullerton because there's no direct easy way to get there. The freeways are out of the way, and Brookhurst is the best of some sad options including Harbor and Euclid to head south. It makes me crazy. What I'd like is real light rail transportation on the old Red Car right of ways - they're still around in droves - I remember passing the one in Garden Grove on a daily basis, and I don't give a rat what those newbies in H.B. think - the county needs an easier way of getting across town. The freeways and surface streets are pretty much congested from 3:00 p.m. on during the week.

[Brayon]

Anything potentially spurring on the development of legitimate mass transit in the LA/OC area is good in my book. I'm 100% sure there is no larger metropolitan area in the world with such little mass transportation, and that's why it takes so many people an hour to go 8 miles to work.

Hilssborough, Pasco, Polk, Orange, and Osceola Counties have next to nothing in public transit. Buses in each county only go to destinations for those counties. Now this area is Tampa, Lakeland, Plant City, LBV, Kiss, and Orlando which is one of the major coridors for WDW. If a combine transit authority existed, it would greatly increase the benefit of travel across these counties and cities. Just is who would pay for it?

Florida had vote on a High Speed monorail project that would of linked all the major cities in Florida. But due to a shady admendment 3 years later the Gov. was able to get rid of it. It sure would of been nice.

[leftcoaster]

Florida had vote on a High Speed monorail project that would of linked all the major cities in Florida. But due to a shady amendment 3 years later the Gov. was able to get rid of it. It sure would of been nice.

Is that the same project that would have linked the airport to a station on WDW property (adjacent to I-4) ? From what I read, USO was pissed because there were no plans to have a station at/near USO. I did not see any proposed routes, but I'm thinking that since it would be an elevated monorail, a station close to USO could have easily be done. Even the layout had some sort of train "reversing setup (Train heading East comes to a stop, flips a switch to switch beams, train reverses direction to head North toward USO).

[Brayon]

Is that the same project that would have linked the airport to a station on WDW property (adjacent to I-4) ? From what I read, USO was pissed because there were no plans to have a station at/near USO. I did not see any proposed routes, but I'm thinking that since it would be an elevated monorail, a station close to USO could have easily be done. Even the layout had some sort of train "reversing setup (Train heading East comes to a stop, flips a switch to switch beams, train reverses direction to head North toward USO).

Yup same one. The FoxOne Monorail Project, was to link Tampa and Orlando with a Track that went right down the Middle of I-4, or just off to the sides. Tampa to Fort Myers via I-75, and then on over to Miami. Miami and Orlando via I-95 and the Florida Turnpike. Other locations would of been Jacksonville, Daytona, Ocala, Gainsville, St. Augestine, Tallahasse, and Panama City with destination stops intermitently along the routes.

There was two purposed ways:
A. One big loop with Multiple trains. (Similar to the Epcot line)
B. Dedicated trains going back and forth between two major destinations. (Like the Express and Resort lines together)

Bombadier, the makers of the Mark VI that we use, would of been the supplier for the trains. The track design, was also suppose to be similar to the Tracks at WDW, but were going to be "beefier." This was a project that I beilived in, and vote for.

EDIT: At one time, there was to be a Station just to the west of I-4 at Exit 62. This is the first Exit to WDW heading East on I-4 from Tampa. The station designed called for the FoxOne to run on the Eastside of the Station, instead of through the middle like other stations. This station was also going to be large enough to have two sperate lines, FoxOne on the Eastside, and another undisclosed line on the Westside of the station.

With that in mind, The eastside of the station would of face I-4, and the Westside would of faced WDW...

[Panther007]

THe funny thing is, the "Disneyland Resort Line" made an April Fools' Joke announcement that they would begin contruction on a monorail from Disneyland to Disney World, lol!!

really? i never herd of that

it would be a great idea though

even have a extremly high speed underground express monorail

traveling in a straight line (except for the loop to change tracks and that would be where no one but the driver would go through)

they could go at speeds of around 400-500+ mph, and just incase of an power failure there would be stations every 100 miles

[brad]

better yet, bring back the peoplemover in DL and connect it with the TTA