Latest news with #SCMaglev
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Wariness over maglev is not surprising, but don't make up your mind yet
Gov. Wes Moore (D) watches a passing high-speed maglev train on April 12, 2025, during a trade mission to Japan. (Photo by Ken Katsurayama/Governor's Office) 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. Maryland Matters welcomes guest commentary submissions at editor@ We suggest a 750-word limit and reserve the right to edit or reject submissions. We do not accept columns that are endorsements of candidates, and no longer accept submissions from elected officials or political candidates. Opinion pieces must be signed by at least one individual using their real name. We do not accept columns signed by an organization. Commentary writers must include a short bio and a photo for their bylines. Views of writers are their own. 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.
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
The high cost of high speed: Why SCMaglev is not the answer
A 2019 images of a maglev train similar to one that might connect Baltimore and Washington, D.C., (Photo courtesy Baltimore-Washington Rapid Rail) We all want faster, more efficient transportation. But the desire for speed shouldn't come at the expense of equity, accountability, or common sense. The proposed Superconducting Maglev (SCMaglev) train between Washington, D.C., and Baltimore is being pitched as a revolutionary leap forward—a 15-minute ride connecting two cities. But when you look closely, it becomes clear that this project is a costly distraction from the real transportation needs of Marylanders. I've followed the SCMaglev project for nearly a decade, through meetings, hearings, and glossy presentations. One moment sticks with me to this day: During a presentation to the Maryland General Assembly, a representative claimed the Maglev would reduce regional traffic by 30%. When I asked for the methodology or data behind that estimate, no one could provide an answer. That kind of vague, unverified projection isn't just irresponsible — it's dangerous when we're discussing a multibillion-dollar project with lasting impacts on our communities, environment and transportation landscape. Maryland Matters welcomes guest commentary submissions at editor@ We suggest a 750-word limit and reserve the right to edit or reject submissions. We do not accept columns that are endorsements of candidates, and no longer accept submissions from elected officials or political candidates. Opinion pieces must be signed by at least one individual using their real name. We do not accept columns signed by an organization. Commentary writers must include a short bio and a photo for their bylines. Views of writers are their own. Let's talk dollars. A one-way Maglev ticket from D.C. to Baltimore is projected to cost between $60 and $80. That's not a commuter fare — it's a luxury option targeted at business elites and tourists. The average Marylander isn't budgeting $120 a day for transit. We already have underfunded, overburdened systems like MARC, Metro and local buses that residents rely on every day. Why not invest in expanding those services — adding more stops, increasing frequency, reducing costs, and improving reliability? As a resident of Laurel, I'm particularly alarmed by the impact the route would have on the Patuxent Research Refuge. My twin boys and I spend time there often, enjoying trails and spotting wildlife. It's one of the last intact green spaces in our region — and SCMaglev would cut right through it. That's not innovation. That's ecological devastation in the name of elite convenience. Our green spaces are not expendable. Even if you set aside the environmental costs, the communities most affected by the Maglev — like those in Prince George's County — see none of the benefits. There are no planned stops here, yet our neighborhoods would bear the brunt of construction, land disruption and noise. No reliable jobs. No meaningful investment in our mobility. We've been promised a few short-term construction jobs, but no long-term transit improvements or economic uplift. That's not equity — it's extraction. Let's also examine the travel time savings that Maglev promoters like to tout. A 15-minute ride between D.C. and Baltimore sounds great in theory, but it does not include the time it takes to get to the Maglev stations — both of which would be deep in the urban cores of each city. Real commutes aren't point-to-point miracles. They involve walking, transfers, delays and often multiple systems. Without meaningful integration with existing transit, the Maglev could actually complicate travel, not streamline it. Supporters often point to Japan as a shining example of high-speed rail success. And it's true — Japan's Shinkansen and Maglev lines are marvels of engineering. But Japan also has the infrastructure, culture and density to support that kind of system. Tokyo, for example, has over 39,000 people per square mile in some areas — vastly higher than any corridor between D.C. and Baltimore. Japan also has a deeply ingrained public transit culture that makes high-speed rail practical. Maryland simply does not have the same conditions to justify this scale of investment. We need bold transportation investments — but bold does not have to mean flashy. It means practical, people-centered solutions: Expanding bus routes, extending service hours, modernizing fleets, integrating systems, improving accessibility and making transit affordable. It means investing where people already are — and where they've been asking for improvements for years. A truly visionary transportation system does not just move people quickly — it moves people equitably. It respects the communities it runs through. It protects the ecosystems it touches. It closes gaps in mobility and opens doors to opportunity. SCMaglev may be fast, but it's not right for Maryland — not now, and not at this cost.
