Mass Transit 2 the Disneyland Resort

[CaliforniaAdventurer]

http://www.contractmagazine.com/cont...9714-HOKlg.jpg

The combined team of the Los Angeles office of HOK and Parsons Brinckerhoff, a global infrastructure strategic consulting, engineering, and program/construction management organization, has been selected by the Anaheim City Council and Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) to design phase one of the Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center (ARTIC). The 66,000-sq.-ft. structure features a 180-ft. archway offering expansive skyline views and will stand out as a landmark throughout the region.

The intermodal transportation hub is a sustainable facility linking commuter and regional rail service as well as intercity bus, taxi, and local transit. Future phases will expand the center to accommodate California high-speed rail to destinations such as San Francisco and Sacramento and serve as the terminus for the super-speed train between Las Vegas and Southern California....

The new transportation hub is scheduled to break ground in 2010 and be completed by mid-2013. Phase one is valued at approximately $180 million and will consist of the transportation center and supporting facilities, rail tracks and platforms, parking, public art, and street improvements. ARTIC will accommodate passenger arrivals, departures, and transfers, with supporting retail, restaurants, and passenger services within the structure. It will also provide easy transfer and connectivity between area entertainment destinations and sports venues including the Anaheim Convention Center, Angel Stadium, Disneyland, and Honda Center.

"The design for ARTIC was inspired by grand, open rail stations like Grand Central in New York and from the historic, monumental hangars in nearby Tustin, which housed Navy blimps," adds Cirangle. "We wanted to design ARTIC as a breathtaking structure that would be instantly recognizable throughout the region."

Contract Magazine

[sediment]

Can I follow along if I hadn't seen the first thread?

(Maybe a link to it will help us not rehash.)

Anywho, it looks good. Can't wait for whatever plans there are to connect to Disneyland. Shuttle buses? Yawn! Extension of monorail? PeopleMover underground?

[SnorkletsMom]

With California's economy in the dumpster, I'm really surprised they are going through with this right now.

[CaliforniaAdventurer]

The original thread: circa 2005-2009

Mass Transit to Disneyland Resort

[sediment]

How to get to Disneyland?
1. From OC/John Wayne airport, you can take a cab, schedule a private shuttle, or reserve a limosine service. I say no to the private shuttles like SuperShuttle and PrimeTicket, if only for the inconvenience of being with complete strangers and waiting for them at the airport and waiting to drop them off. If you need a car for other trips, then rent a car. Best option is to know someone in the area and have them pick you up and drop you off. Maybe MiceChat will start this service up?? (kidding.)

2. From LAX, same as above, plus the Disneyland Express, operated by GreyLine. Very cheap, but not 24/7. For example, if on your last day you wanted to stay for fireworks or until DL closes, too bad. Last one out of Anaheim is at 9-ish (I'll get exact time in a bit).
ETA: I'm looking for "last bus out of Anaheim" info. Last bus out of LAX is 12:30AM, but no info on the other way. Not sure where my memory is coming from.

General Driving tips:
a) Radio stations 980 and 1070 have traffic on the one's and five's, respectively. It's pure SoCal-speak, so make sure no one is talking while the tell you everything in about 10 seconds.
b) GPS with live traffic conditions is extremely helpful, especially if you are forced to drive between 7AM and 8PM.
c) Lacking the above, a friend with internet access to call at a moment's notice to be monitoring sigalert.com is very helpful. I suggest calling about two hours away from DL, then every half-hour after that.
d) You're in SoCal, you have to call the freeways by their numbers with a "The" in front. Them's the rules. Don't make me correct you.

3. Driving in from the North: The 5 South is the easiest one to remember, except for that awful transition after downtown. Only one thing to remember: Lane #2. If you get stuck in Lane #1, no worries: take The 60 East to The 710 South, about a mile or two, then work your way to Lane #1/#2 for the transition to The 5 South.
Alternatives include: The 405 South, The 170 South, The 210 East/South, with more variations than I can list here. A map works fine. The 210 option currently includes some street-level driving, and will be updated when Hell freezes over and The 710 extension to The 210 is completed in 50 years or so.
While The 101 is a nice-look drive down parts of the coast, it's a good 40 miles longer. I suggest having something else to stop and see if you go that way. And there is a lot to stop and see. Driving through without stopping seems a waste.

4. Driving in from the East: The 10 / The 60 / The 91. We had a good discussion about this a year or three ago. IMO, it all depends on the traffic at the time, which depends on accidents. General driving tips are helpful here. (Vegas is included here.)

5. Driving in from the South: The 5. If you're near The 15, then you can come from the East, taking The 91.

6. Driving in from the West: The 91 East. The 405 southeast to The 22 if The 91 is a mess. From westside LA, The 10 or The 105 are also options. From LAX: The 105 East to The 605 South to The 91 East to The 5 South.

7. Actual local mass transit, anyone?
a) OCTA has buses. Here's the map:
http://www.octa.net/pdf/mar08/sysmap.pdf

b) AMTRAK has trains that stop at Anaheim. Pacific Surfliner. Here's a link:
Amtrak - Schedules
Also, all sorts of passenger trains arriving from eastern points, like Chi and N.O. (No Vegas, though.)

c) MetroLink has infrequent commuter trains, and unless you're going during regular-folk business hours, these are not convenient. Here's a link:
Metrolink :: Orange County Line
Weekends are very limited:
Metrolink :: Orange County Line Weekend

d) LA Metro Bus has one bus from downtown to Anaheim. It is "express" until The Norwalk Green Line stop. Bus 460. Link:
http://metro.net/riding_metro/maps/i...System_Map.pdf
Wait, that's just the map. Good luck finding the actual bus route!
Here is The 460 Bus:
http://www.metro.net/riding_metro/bu...images/460.pdf
Seems to be an hour and a half each way. Late times available.

e) LA Metro Rail will take as far as the Norwalk Green Line stop, and the bus above stops there, too.

f) OCTA has a bus that stops at LB Transit Center, the end of the Metro Rail Blue Line. Bus Route 60. Take Bus 43 South to 17th Street, then West on Bus 60. Late runs, too.
http://www.octa.net/pdf/pdf/jun2009/route060.pdf

g) OCTA has a bus from Downtown LA to Fullerton Park&Ride. Bus 721. Very limited. Last bus north is at 5:15PM Link:
http://www.octa.net/pdf/pdf/jun2009/route721.pdf

8. Parking hassles hassling you:
You can find parking along a bus route. Park, and then take the bus from there.
Bus Route 43 goes North-South along Harbor. Can't see any obvious parking lot.
http://www.octa.net/pdf/pdf/sep2009/route043.pdf

Bus Route 47 goes North-South along Fairview, stopping at The Block at Orange. Bit of a walk to the resort.
http://www.octa.net/pdf/pdf/sep2009/route047.pdf

Bus Route 83 goes North-South along The 5 from Laguna Hills Mall to DL.
http://www.octa.net/pdf/pdf/sep2009/route083.pdf

They are all late buses, though not after midnight. What you do is find out if someone you know is there that can take you home late.

I think that's it.

[sediment]

Originally Posted by SnorkletsMom

With California's economy in the dumpster, I'm really surprised they are going through with this right now.

Passed with restricted sales tax revenue. Plus, planning isn't nearly as expensive as actually doing the work.

Originally Posted by CaliforniaAdventurer

The original thread: circa 2005-2009

Mass Transit to Disneyland Resort

Ah, good times!!

[CaliforniaAdventurer]

Thanks for post 5 and all your contributions to MiceChat, sediment

[sediment]

Not a problem. As long as people use the info for goodness, and not evil.

[CaliforniaAdventurer]

Transit planners delay vote on 30-year blueprint for L.A.

9:35 AM | July 24, 2009

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority board on Thursday postponed a decision on whether to approve a $271-billion spending plan for the next 30 years that will emphasize the development of mass transit but still provide substantial funding for highway projects.

Board members said they delayed consideration of the MTA's long-range transportation plan because more time was needed to firm up funding and construction schedules for proposed highway projects -- a desire expressed by 75 of the county's 88 cities.

In other action, the board voted to support the California high-speed rail project and its first segment, which would connect L.A. with Anaheim.

[CaliforniaAdventurer]

We all get on the trams to take us back to our car at the end of the night.

But what if you could board a monorail in the esplanade instead, and get dropped off at the train station where you make a connection on the high speed rail. You could be back in LA faster than some people even get to their car. The ride to LA from Anaheim Station will be 15 or 20 min, and it will take about 10 min to get from Disneyland resort to ARTIC.

Nice for CM's who work in Anaheim and live in LA, they won't have to motor down the freeway, just park and ride from Union Station.

[sediment]

Originally Posted by CaliforniaAdventurer

We all get on the trams to take us back to our car at the end of the night.

But what if you could board a monorail in the esplanade instead, and get dropped off at the train station where you make a connection on the high speed rail. You could be back in LA faster than some people even get to their car. The ride to LA from Anaheim Station will be 15 or 20 min, and it will take about 10 min to get from Disneyland resort to ARTIC.

Nice for CM's who work in Anaheim and live in LA, they won't have to motor down the freeway, just park and ride from Union Station.

It won't happen until the high-speed rail comes. That's still up in the air.

And, as we discussed in the prior thread, its route along The 91 to The 15, and then on to Vegas, will be far more useful (i.e., people using it) than one from Union Station and points northward. Heck, along The 10 to Phoenix might be a better idea, too. In 30 years, we'll all have old friends in AZ we'll want to visit but want to drive to.

[sediment]

So, the awe that my post created is leveling off??

[CaliforniaAdventurer]

I just used the Hollywood Bowl bus back to the park and ride, Im all for using public transit if it's fast and efficient like the door to door service (no stops) they offer even if it meant standing on the ride back.

[sediment]

Originally Posted by CaliforniaAdventurer

I just used the Hollywood Bowl bus back to the park and ride, Im all for using public transit if it's fast and efficient like the door to door service (no stops) they offer even if it meant standing on the ride back.

Where did you park? The Zoo, or on Ventura Blvd?

[CaliforniaAdventurer]

Ventura, it's pretty close to my home.

It would be great if those buses went to Disneyland all day and night from those lots or ones like it. Where have I heard that idea before?