Travis61

Third post ever, and first in many years, but figured I'd jump in since I am a professional planner (albeit on the East Coast)... I'd like to know if any of the studies that have been completed and submitted to city officials are publicly available as well. I think if you're trying to drum up support for this thing, providing that information would be helpful. It would give a considerable amount of legitimacy to your argument. Instead of saying that a great deal of information has been given to city officials, maybe show us that information as well. If there's been economic analyses, cost benefit analyses comparing other alternatives for redevelopment of the harbor, survey data showing public support for bringing the coaster back, anything like that, giving us access to it might help build support. Or at the very least, allow for additional conversations. Second, your mention of Mayor Garcia's call for proposals for redevelopment seems to center around a parking lot known as the "Elephant Lot," which among other things is used as a paddock for Indycar's Grand Prix of Long Beach. The pier proposal has nothing to do with that plot of land, so I'm not sure how it is relevant to the Mayor's desire for redevelopment. If the City wants proposals for a specific area, it'd be helpful to your cause to stick to that specific area. Also, it's unclear why the officials you said to contact are just one councilmember (I'm assuming for that particular area) and the Assistant City Manager. Why just those two, and especially why not the entire council? I don't know the development approval process for Long Beach, but in a situation like this I would expect that this would require at least one vote of approval from City Council, if not more... Downtown redevelopment is all the rage today, and I feel comfortable speaking for many on this board in saying that a coaster as a centerpiece of downtown redevelopment would be something we'd all like to see in our own cities. Larry's work (not just the model, although wow, it's fantastic) should be commended and I think the members of this board feel that way. But I am 99% certain that other proposals for this area would bring the city quite a bit more money than a roller coaster and other supporting attractions that few, outside of long-time residents of Long Beach, have ever even heard of. My point being, I'd just like to see more information as to WHY this proposal should receive support, which means I'd like to see data, especially in the context of other development proposals.

^Concerning Dominator, I'm one of the ride-ops up there (I'm back after a few years away from the park), and what you saw today is pretty normal for most weekdays, even going back as far as 2009. We sometimes have lines out to the entrance (without opening any of the switchbacks) around noon or so, but usually knock it down to walk-on levels by 2 or 3, and it'll stay that way for the rest of the day.

Howdy howdy. My name's Travis, as you've probably gathered by now. I've been lurking on this site for years, but finally decided to go ahead and register. A little about me, I'm a 21 year old Political Science/Public Policy double major about to start my 4th of 5 years at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, VA (5 years because of stupid B.A./B.S. requirements, but that's a different story). I was a ride-op at Kings Dominion for four years (09-12), becoming a supervisor early in 2010. I worked Dominator and Berserker almost exclusively during my first two seasons, then switching to a broader role covering all of the Kidzville section of the park (which includes Dominator) my third and fourth seasons. As far as parks go, I've visited the Disney parks in Orlando, KD, Busch Gardens Williamsburg, Carowinds, and Cedar Point. Quite an astonishing list, I know. My number one coaster is, and will always be Dominator, just because it's my baby, followed by I-305, Maverick, Afterburn, and Apollo's Chariot. Aside from coasters, politics is a huge passion of mine, although I tend not to discuss it online. Not that discourse on political matters isn't worthwhile, because it certainly is, but it is so much more beneficial to all sides of an argument when it takes place in person. I am a very musical person, especially in the very broad "rock" category, with my favorite artists being the Dave Matthews Band, Metallica, Nirvana, Arctic Monkeys, and Jack Johnson. I also am very passionate about sports, with my favorite teams being Liverpool FC, the New York Jets, St. Louis Cardinals, Vancouver Canucks, Vancouver Whitecaps, and Charlotte Hornets. I look forward to becoming an active member of these boards. You'll most likely find me in the KD and BGW topics, as well as the RCT sections, and general off-topic things. Happy coasting! -Travis