Tunica-Memphis monorail to be studied

Memphis Business Journal ^ | 3-29-06

[Willie Green]

For education and discussion only. Not for commercial use.

Mid-South gamblers may be able to knock back a few more drinks in Tunica, and then take the train home.

The Mississippi Legislature Monday approved a transportation bill that includes $500,000 for a feasibility study of a monorail network that would link casinos to one another as well as connect to the Tunica Airport and Southaven.

The light rail line could even reach into Shelby County, connecting to the proposed Memphis rail system that is to link Midtown with Memphis International Airport.

The bill is now on the desk of Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour.

Proponents of the plan are also seeking $400,000 in federal funds for the study.

[Dog Gone]

$900,000.00 to study what? Whether anyone would use it?

[MplsSteve]

Never been to Tunica.

I've been to many places north, south and east of there.

Has Tunica gotten so huge that a monorail is actually feasible?

[MrNeutron1962]

Monorail, isn't that more of a Shelbyville idea?

[vetvetdoug]

The flight from Memphis and the Fords, Harringtons and others is so bad they need a monorail to help the people flee from that city.

[Rodney King]

Lyle Lanley must be spreading a lot of PAC money around...

[sportutegrl]

The Natchez Trace Parkway is a scenic drive and a straight shot with no stop signs, red lights or commercial vehicles.

[Rodney King]

[Onelifetogive]

Lyle Lanley: Well, sir, there's nothing on earth
Like a genuine,
Bona fide,
Electrified,
Six-car
Monorail!
What'd I say?
Ned Flanders: Monorail!
Lyle Lanley: What's it called?
Patty+Selma: Monorail!
Lyle Lanley: That's right! Monorail!
[crowd chants `Monorail' softly and rhythmically]
Miss Hoover: I hear those things are awfully loud...
Lyle Lanley: It glides as softly as a cloud.
Apu: Is there a chance the track could bend?
Lyle Lanley: Not on your life, my Hindu friend.
Barney: What about us brain-dead slobs?
Lyle Lanley: You'll be given cushy jobs.
Abe: Were you sent here by the devil?
Lyle Lanley: No, good sir, I'm on the level.
Wiggum: The ring came off my pudding can.
Lyle Lanley: Take my pen knife, my good man.
I swear it's Springfield's only choice...
Throw up your hands and raise your voice!
All: Monorail!
Lyle Lanley: What's it called?
All: Monorail!
Lyle Lanley: Once again...
All: Monorail!
Marge: But Main Street's still all cracked and broken...
Bart: Sorry, Mom, the mob has spoken!
All: Monorail!
Monorail!
Monorail!
[big finish]
Monorail!
Homer: Mono... D'oh!

[Diddle E. Squat]

Complete idiotic waste of money. Would be cheaper to build it as an extension of the light-rail line, rather than a completely new technology that can't use existing or soon to be built tracks.

Would be even smarter to just build it as commuter rail, since tracks and right of way already exist for most of the right, and would only require a relatively small ugrade. Less than $3 million per mile as opposed to monorail's $60-85 million per mile.

Cheapest of all would be to just stay out and let the private bus companies run their shuttles. Zero costs to the taxpayers, and the roads already exist.

Monorail is a complete fraud, and always much more expensive than the other options.

[Sax]

Here in FL the voters actually voted for the highspeed rail and it won. Except they all thought it would just appear for free and that money wouldn't have to come at the expense of a lot of other things that were more universally needed. Gov. Jeb Bush took a lot of heat for having to work this one.

[Calusa]

Proponents of the plan are also seeking $400,000 in federal funds for the study.

Hey, Bebbe, I feel an earmark comin' on!

[BeHoldAPaleHorse]

Classic episode.

[SquirrelKing]

It put Ogdenville and North Haverbrook on the map!

[Coldwater Creek]

Tons of people are killed and maimed each year on Hy, 61 from Memphis to Tuncia.