Wariness over maglev is not surprising, but don't make up your mind yet
As the president and chief operating officer of Northeast Maglev, I can appreciate why there remains a degree of skepticism about the future of high-speed rail in Maryland. At this time, we do not have high speed rail anywhere in America.
While recent polls have revealed widespread majority public support for Maglev project throughout Maryland, I also respect the concern that exists within certain communities about the basic characteristics of this project – from routing specifics, potential for environmental impacts, to the perceived, but unfounded concern of disruption to local homes and businesses (The high cost of high speed: Why SCMaglev is not the answer – Maryland Matters)
These are natural questions that accompany any new road or transit project, and they are particularly understandable in a project of this size and magnitude. Throw in the fact that this would be the first project of its kind in North America – that is, a rail project powered by green energy, floating on air via magnetic levitation, and traveling at a speed of 311 mph – it is easy to see why this proposal has inspired healthy discussion and debate.
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The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires federal agencies to evaluate the environmental impacts of projects like these before allowing them to proceed. Our federal and state governments engage local communities in open forums, provide transparent information about the project, answer questions, and allow adequate time for public comment.
It is a thorough and time-consuming process, and deservedly so. The Northeast Maglev project will change the way Marylanders live, work and travel. It will redefine the economy of our state and those along the eastern seaboard. It will transform the manner in which Americans perceive public transportation.
For these reasons, and for the preservation of the special quality of historic communities and neighborhoods throughout the region, it is imperative that we get this right.
Until the environmental review process has been completed, with one preferred alignment designated by the Federal Railroad Administration, and while the majority of Marylanders support the construction of the project, some members of our community will remain uncertain, and a project that will make life so much better for millions will remain on the 'slow train' to completion.
Here is what we know. The Northeast Maglev project, when built, will make it possible for people to travel from Washington to Baltimore-Washington International Airport to Baltimore in 15 minutes, and from Washington to New York in just one hour, including all the cities and airports in between.
In so doing, it will substantially relieve traffic gridlock, improve the environment, reduce air pollution, create jobs and positively impact people's lives in one of the most congested regions of our country.
This project has never asked for state taxpayer money; in fact, it has paid all matching funds to the federal government that the state would have had to pay to even study a project like this. It will be built with a combination of private investment, federal loan funding programs and international financing.
We know, based on the NEPA studies, that this project will create about 123,000 construction-related jobs, 38,000 professional jobs and 1,500 permanent jobs, while adding $8.8 billion in wages and salaries to the Maryland region's economy.
It will also remove 16 million cars from our clogged highways between Baltimore and Washington, D.C., which not only improves our quality of life but also reduces greenhouse gases in our state. Studies have shown that Marylanders lose over 100 hours a year stuck in traffic, and this project will go a long way to help alleviate this.
It is my hope that our federal and state governments can come together and finish the environmental review process. Only by doing so can we begin to provide definitive answers and a timetable that the public deserves with a final single alignment, and move toward the completion of a project our state so urgently needs.
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