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Maglev dreams...... |
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Posted by TransitChuckG on Sun Aug 28 07:11:00 2016 Parts of an email I got today.BALTIMORE—Six years ago, Melissa Malcolm gave up on the commuter train to Washington, D.C. after breakdowns twice left her stranded in hot railcars. Now, on a good day, she makes the 40-mile drive in about an hour and a half. “It’s horrific,” said the 35-year-old, who directs national sales and field marketing at the Milk Processor Education Program. So Ms. Malcolm is rooting for an ambitious bid to build a high-speed train line that would zip riders between Baltimore and Washington in about 15 minutes and more closely bind these historically different cities. The still-distant dream of maglev—short for magnetic levitation—is inching ahead. On Wednesday, Maryland officials announced a $2 million pledge from the government of Japan, where the technology was developed, for a feasibility study. Last fall, the U.S. Transportation Department awarded a $28 million grant for environmental and engineering studies. Northeast Maglev, the company promoting the effort, says the roughly 40-mile line could open in about a decade at a cost “somewhat north” of $10 billion, with the Japanese government covering a major portion. The technology uses magnetic forces to accelerate trains to speeds of more than 300 miles an hour as they hover inches off the ground. There is one 26.6-mile stretch of maglev track in Japan using this technology, but it isn’t yet open for commercial service. Fares are expected to be somewhat higher on average than for Amtrak’s high-speed Acela service, though Northeast Maglev said pricing would be “responsive to demand.” The lowest round-trip Acela fare between Baltimore and Washington is $64, Amtrak says. Northeast Maglev Chief Executive Wayne Rogers said in a statement that maglev would “revolutionize how people live and work throughout the region.” He chairs a separate company, Baltimore Washington Rapid Rail, which would develop the line between the cities. The train would make one stop, at Baltimore Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport. While comments expressing skepticism abound on social media sites, Vincent Orange, chief executive of the D.C. Chamber of Commerce, is optimistic. “Most great ideas start out as pie in the sky,” he said. Northeast Maglev envisions the line eventually linking Washington and New York City in under an hour. The first leg would connect Baltimore and Washington, two cities that have evolved differently—Baltimore as a blue-collar manufacturing hub, Washington as an international-minded center of politics and policy. Intercity animosity sometimes surfaces, over everything from baseball to crime rates. Before a recent series between the Baltimore Orioles and Washington Nationals, the Baltimore Sun published 100 reasons “why Baltimore is better than D.C.” Example: “We may have a lot of rats, but the majority of them don’t go into politics.” Earlier this year, a Washington Post story mocked a marketing campaign aimed at luring Washington residents to Baltimore for its cheap housing. “Tired of paying high rent in D.C.? Don’t mind riding the train for an hour or more? Or getting shot? Move to Baltimore!” the reporter wrote. Officials who promote the two cities say maglev would foster already strong ties. “For those that live and work in the region, it would make both destinations more appealing for a variety of reasons,” said Elliott Ferguson, chief executive of the Destination DC tourism agency. More than 10,000 people commute to the District from Baltimore City and Baltimore County, according to Census Bureau figures covering 2009-2013. About 1,600 make the reverse commute. Steven Gondol, who heads Live Baltimore, a nonprofit that promotes the city, thinks maglev could entice more Washingtonians north by making the commute less of an issue. “If it’s reliable, frequent and affordable, it can be significant,” he said. Commuter trains travel between the cities in just under an hour, though delays are common. Driving can take longer—especially since Washington-area traffic is some of the worst in the nation. In 2014, the D.C. metro area had the nation’s worst congestion, measured in hours of delay per commuter, according to the Texas A&M Transportation Institute and Inrix, Inc. Baltimore ranked 23rd. Maglev could be a “game-changer” for Baltimore, said Realtor Eileen Sheridan-Malone, because the commute scares off some D.C. workers who might otherwise consider moving to Baltimore. For Ms. Malcolm, maglev might arrive far too late. Engaged to be married, she said she doesn’t want to start a family if her commute might devour four hours on days when she can’t work from home. One option: Give up the sense of community she loves about Baltimore’s Canton neighborhood and move closer to Washington. Corrections & Amplifications: A 26.6-mile stretch of maglev track in Japan isn’t yet open for commercial service. An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated the length of the track. (Aug. 27) |
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