Join the discussion on the following article:
Maryland governor likes MagLev; explores Baltimore to D.C. link
Who’s kidding whom here? Surrounded by some of the most expensive real estate, and populated by millions of the most militant NIMBYs in the country, this would be the grandaddy of all boondoggles, making the Big Dig look like a kindergarten exercise. Hogan was mesmerized by the Japanese over a toy that even they refuse to build. If he wants a grant of $28 million, better to spend it on MD transportation projects that are languishing while he vacillates; the Purple Line and the Red Line. Larry, wake up and get real! (I live in MD, and voted for him).
There’s a smaller project underway in Orlando to create a maglev link between the airport (which will also be the AAF terminus) and I-Drive, better known as “That strip where all the theme parks like Disney and Universal are”.
I think that stands a somewhat greater chance of happening given a better chance of getting a right-of-way etc, but it’d still not put money on it, having seen maglev proposals since I was a kid and not seen a single one come to light. Good luck to them anyway.
Another waste of time.
Amtrak’s Baltimore tunnels desperately need replacement.
Please see the RAIL Solution higher speed Steel Interstate proposal at steelinterstate.org
If the government will not pay to upgrade the Northeast Corridor (see Fred Frailey’s latest blog) what makes Gov. Hogan think they will pay for a Maglev? I don’t get it.
Boy, do I smell a huge $$$ boondoggle here! Multiple millions to be wasted just on preliminary engineering studies and enviro impact reports, whether the project ever comes to fruition or not! Hope the folks in MD have all those big bucks to waste, 'cause I sure don’t want my rural North Country, NY tax dollars going down that rat hole! (Or ANY rat hole, for that matter!)
Least he is R person maybe liking Trains more than another R he his party?? Maybe its a good thing.
Like Robinson Foster noted, Amtrak/NEC tunnels desperately need to be addressed in addition to the CSX/freight tunnels so a double stack solution will happen.
.
At least you can argue that Big Dig in part involved interstate highway system. This proposal would simply suck federal funds away from much needed improvements to the northeast transportation as well as national freight/port system. I’m still amazed that this region doesn’t have plans on the shelf ready to go. That is a disgrace within itself.
So this guy, who won’t approve a light rail line, is smitten by some over-expensive, start from scratch, technology. Does he think the Japanese will pay for this? Better the state help improve Amtrak’s Baltimore tunnels and expand local transit.
It already costs at least $1.5 million per mile just to build a standard rail line from scratch, and now this windbag politician is boondoggling for maglev? What about the problems currently existing with the current rail network? That and I wonder how much of that $28 million “grant” will go right to his fatcat campaign contributors?
Better that Hogan should build the purple line linking Bethesda and New Carrolton along with the Baltimore red line. $10B (which seems very low) to build a mag-lev to connect DC & Baltimore is a waste of money. If he really wants to build something to connect DC & Baltimore he can extend DC Metro and build a connection down from Baltimore’s metro to meet it.
Some Republicans see a difference (real or perceived) between public funding of capital infrastructure and operating subsidies. Since this involves a private operator that believes they don’t need an operating subsidy, some Republicans are less likely to be opposed.
The problem is allowing private operators to use public infrastructure at less than cost is a subsidy as surely as an operating subsidy is. In this case, I would guess that the NEC could be upgraded and operations subsidized for years before it would cost as much as this. However, we won’t know without a study.
On the positive side, a maglev could be much faster than an improved NEC. If Acela were replaced with a Maglev the NEC would have more capacity for regional and commuter service, and Amtrak could probably save a lot of money maintaining it for 110 MPH instead of 135 for Acela. Finally, land requirements might be minimal as a maglev line would likely be elevated anyway.
Do the study and find out before jumping to conclusions.
I’m a transplant from downtown Baltimore to rural Louisiana, 2 1/2 years gone now. I now live in an area where two 4x4 ATVs in a row is ‘mass transit’. So, no, I wasn’t around to vote for Hogan for Governor of Maryland. And this sort of thing is exactly why I would not have voted for him. Is he seduced by a speedy maglev ride and a slick sales pitch into thinking Maryland would somehow get something for nothing? Or is this just a syndical stall to make it look like he’s “studying” high tech trains while he holds off the many, many voices among his constituents who’ve worked for years to bring the Red Line and the Purple Line to fruition? Beats me, although being a political skeptic, I’m inclined to think the latter. At any rate, here’s a link to Dave Alpert’s excellent blog that neatly summarizes my view of the matter - http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/27001/marylands-governor-thinks-the-purple-line-is-too-expensive-but-wants-to-build-a-10-billion-maglev-/
Landon Rowell, while I do appreciate your trying to be patient and thoughtful and urging a study be done, your comment “…land requirements might be minimal…” is THE issue barring any public works project as grandiose as a maglev line. Maybe you haven’t seen Maryland and the District along the 32 miles between The Charm City and Our Nation’s Capital. Even beyond the corporate boundaries of the two cities, this is some of the most densely developed, high priced real estate in the United States. Attempting to shoe-horn ANY new major project above, below or through the area will set off a ‘property rights’ vs. ‘eminent domain’ war that will make the skirmishes now going on in rural California around the High Speed Rail project seem like mere neighbor squabbles over fence lines. Gov. Hogan knows this perfectly well and knows it will never happen.
Dumb we need the existing NEC upgrade and expanded for both intercity and commuter trains. Maglev here is a waste of money… it would cost likely a $100 BILLION to connect NYC-Wash with a whole new maglev system… and Baltimore-Washington is too short for high speed rail and too long for an amusement ride.
The major advantage I see to maglev is that it should eliminate deaths as a result of grade crossing collisions, derailments, head on and rear end collisions. But if people would obey the rules and use common sense these deaths could be eliminated without the astronomical cost of a maglev system. If the decision is made to build this, at least it should be a very safe way to travel.
Public use of Glen Echo Line.
After this repukeikin gets finished with the study?, he’ll say it’s too expensive and forget about it. As for the other ideas of rail improvements for the Charm City. As we say in New Jersey, fergetaboutit!
Spend the money on B&P Tunnel