“Please stand clear of the doors.” The Florida Senate has backed a bill to amend the state’s Department of Transportation that would give them oversight of “privately owned fixed-guideway transportation systems,” meaning the Walt Disney World Monorail System.
UPDATE – 5/12/2023:
- Following passage from the Florida legislature, the fixed-guideway transportation bill has been signed into law by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.
- The new bill will see the state takeover inspection responsibilities of fixed guideway transportation systems in two Florida counties, namely the Walt Disney World Monorail.
Previously – 5/3/2023:
- After the Florida Senate passed the fixed-guideway transportation bill yesterday, the bill moved to the house which passed the bill earlier today with an 83-32 vote.
Originally Reported:
- Walt Disney World’s “Highway in the Sky” Monorail System could be subject to future inspections by Florida’s Department of Transportation.
- Currently, Disney and other Florida theme parks with more than 1,000 employees and full-time inspectors on staff are responsible for conducting their own safety inspections of theme park transportation.
- Today, Florida’s Senate Fiscal Policy Committee made amendments to a transportation bill (SB 1250) that would give the state’s Department of Transportation oversight of Disney’s Monorail.
- The specific verbiage in the bill gives the DOT supervision of “any governmentally or privately owned fixed-guideway transportation systems operating in this state which are located within an independent special district created by a local act which have boundaries within two contiguous counties.”
- Orlando Senator Linda Stewart (D) has publicly called the move “retaliatory,” part of Governor Ron DeSantis’ ongoing feud with The Walt Disney Company.
- Two Republican senators, Erin Grall of Vero Beach (which has a Disney Vacation Club Resort) and Joe Gruters of Sarasota, were the only members of the state’s Republican-controlled Senate Fiscal Policy Committee to deflect from their party and join Democrats in opposition to the bill. The vote was 26-14.
- The bill would require compliance reports and audits every three years in addition to annual onsite evaluations.
- Florida Republican-controlled House of Representatives passed a version of this bill last week, but the Senate made changes, so the measure now needs to go back to the House for a final vote.
- The bill is sponsored by Senate Transportation Chairman Nick DiCeglie (R), who is quoted as saying, “I personally, obviously, don’t think it is unreasonable for a monorail system that carries 150,000 people a day to have the state and their experts oversee in, what I think, is a very reasonable process that they have.”
- The Department of Transportation currently oversees safety inspections of the tram at Orlando International Airport (MCO).
Laughing Place recommends MouseFanTravel.com for all your Walt Disney World travel planning
Fill out the form below for a free,
no obligation quote from MouseFanTravel.com
no obligation quote from MouseFanTravel.com