![]() Due to the nature of Maglev’s new stations, Maglev users would likely need to hire cabs or ride-shares to reach their final destinations. MARC and Amtrak also already exist at well-established transit hubs such as Union Station in DC. This is only a 14-minute difference from the promised travel time from Maglev for a fraction of the ticket cost. Existing MARC and Amtrak technology could run from Baltimore to Washington in 29 minutes on an express schedule. Thankfully, there are existing alternatives to the Maglev project that are already operation - the Maryland Area Regional Commuter train (MARC), Amtrak and the D.C. camera icon © Liz Albro/Dreamstime A better alternative Lily pads on a lake at the Patuxent Research Refuge, the only federal wildlife refuge specifically designated for research. And, with stops located only in DC, Baltimore, and the Baltimore-Washington International airport, these communities would bear all the harmful impacts of the Maglev without benefiting from being able to board the train in their neighborhood. These communities would see worsening air quality, increased noise and light pollution, and decreased property values from the Maglev project. Eighty percent of the parcels that would be harmed by land use conversion, rezoning and property acquisitions are in communities of color and low-income communities, and 100% of the aboveground viaducts would be in or adjacent to marginalized communities. People of color comprise 69.6% of the total population in the project study area, and low-income people make up 12.7% of the impacted population. The project would also overwhelmingly harm marginalized communities. In total, Maglev operation would increase net carbon dioxide emissions from 286 to 336 million kilograms per year compared to maintaining existing options, according to NASA scientist Dr. While Maglev is 25% more efficient than auto travel, it is 37% percent less efficient than existing bus service and 20% less efficient than existing passenger rail. However, the draft environmental impact statement shows that Maglev would actually increase regional transportation energy consumption by 39% - enough energy to power 88,900 homes. Project developers claim that Maglev would benefit clean air and climate change due to the number of cars it would remove from the road. In total, 76 acres of floodplain, 51 acres of wetlands, 124 acres of critical ecological buffer zones surrounding the Chesapeake Bay and 12,896 linear feet of waterways would all be negatively affected. The project would harm the Anacostia River, the Patuxent River, the Patapsco River, the Baltimore Harbor and the Chesapeake Bay. More than $12 billion to construct, diverting money from local rail systems and Amtrak.69.6% of the negative effects will fall directly on communities of color and low-income communities.336 million kilograms more carbon dioxide released per year.328 acres of permanent impacts to federal property, including 89 owned by the National Park Service.Construction would require right of way access roads, fences, power substations and more, negatively impacting a total of over 1,000 acres of land between DC and Baltimore forever. Each FA/EE would require another three to seven acres of land. Maglev would also require the construction of 50-foot fresh air/emergency egress (FA/EE) structures every 3.5 miles along the route. Construction would require the creation of a trainset maintenance facility, a 200-acre trainyard with hazardous chemicals and impervious surfaces. These viaducts would tower above communities, 150 feet off the ground. The project would cost more than $12 billion to build, and the average cost of a one-way ticket would be $60, eight times more than the same trip on the local commuter rail line.Īpproximately 75% of the project would run underground in deep tunnels, while the remaining 25% would run on aboveground viaducts. Project developers for a proposed Maglev train in the Mid-Atlantic claim that commuters would be able to make the trip between Baltimore, Maryland, and Washington, D.C., in 15 minutes. (Click to enlarge.) camera icon Source: Federal Railroad Administration, Draft Environmental Impact Statement, Figure 3.4-1Ī superconducting magnetic levitation train, also known as SCMaglev or Maglev for short, can travel at speeds up to 300 mph or faster. J-03 is the project sponsor’s preferred alternative, with a train maintenance facility located at BARC-West. These alternatives include a station at Cherry Hill in Baltimore, an alignment to the east of the Baltimore-Washington Parkway, and the three potential locations for the trainset maintenance facility. This map highlights three (of 12) potential routes for the Maglev project.
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