We aren’t sure how Baltimore went from being a transportation dead zone (R.I.P. Red Line) to a potential city of the future slated for two Jetsons-esque transit options (hello, high-speed trains). While the Red Line would have been beyond practical, the Maglev and Hyperloop seem so far off that they almost feel like fantasy. But after last August (when Japan funded a feasibility study for North America’s first Maglev), and this October (when Governor Hogan announced digging approval for Elon Musk’s pie-in-the-sky Hyperloop), the city might actually be getting closer to a shorter commute. While we’re sitting in bumper-to-bumper on the JFX or Beltway, we might as well dream, right? For that, we’ve pulled together a primer for our far-out travels.
MAGLEV
HYPERLOOP
The Federal Railroad Administration and Maryland Department of Transportation are preparing an Environmental Impact Statement to evaluate construction and operation.
The state has approved a conditional utility permit to be used by Elon Musk’s Boring Company to dig a 10.3-mile train tunnel.
DC
BWI
BALTIMORE
DC
BALTIMORE
PHILADELPHIA
NYC
upward of
upward of
bike
(4 hrs.)
CAR
(50 min.-1.5 hrs.)
TRAIN
(36 min.-1 hr., 5 min.)
Boeing 747 jets
(659 mph)
the speed of sound
(almost, 767 mph)
KOREA
JAPAN
Elon Musk’s brain
Southern California (eventually, potentially)
$10 billion
$20 million per mile
(estimated)
Yes, and comfortable—apparently—with negligible turbulence.
With concerns surrounding the gravitational forces’ ability to crush or, at the very least, nauseate travelers, tests are underway on the passenger pods. Musk’s team says the Hyperloop should be safe and similar to train or air travel thanks to constant velocity in a sealed vessel.
Find the Best in Baltimore
You May Also Like
Show your gratitude for our community greenspaces at these fun cleanups and environmental events.
The fourth-year law student is from a village in the Kunduz Province, which didn’t even have a public school until U.S. troops dislodged the Taliban around 2003. She’ll take the Maryland bar exam in July.
As the region grapples with economic impact of the bridge collapse, the General Assembly sets up scholarship fund for children of killed workers.
A local journalist (and stoner) attempts to subvert corporate cannabis.
Meet the crew behind the small-but-mighty food-equity nonprofit, which pops up in the neighborhood every Saturday afternoon to serve meals and connect with residents.
At its heart, the book by the NBC and MSNBC correspondent is a look at who America deems sick or criminal, and who is deemed worthy of care.