Technology that would connect the cities of Cleveland and Chicago via a 30-minute commute inched closer to reality this month as a national transportation and housing appropriations bill passed one federal hurdle.
Five million dollars in initial funding for the Great Lakes Hyperloop System, an experimental high-speed transportation project, was included in legislation voted on by the U.S. House of Representatives in late June.
— Crain's Cleveland Business
Kim Palmer reports for Crain's Cleveland: "The passage of the 2020 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriation bill by the House provides the funds for the U.S. Department of Transportation to create a regulatory framework for development of a hyperloop system."
"The first route studied on the Great Lakes Hyperloop network will be Cleveland to Chicago in 28 minutes," states Great Lakes Hyperloop on its website. "With over 3 million journeys annually, Hyperloop could save travelers 13 million hours each year. Cleveland boasts the largest economy in Ohio with over $120B in annual GDP. Chicago is the 3rd largest metropolitan area in the US bringing in $600B GDP per year."
The U.S. Senate is now next in line to vote on the bill.
I don't need to *imagine* a robust high speed rail network because in most of the rest of the developed world it exists already.
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Hyperloop is a scam. I can't believe officials are still falling for this. Just build a damn high speed rail.
Not sure I would go as far as scam, but it doesn't seem promising. It still has all the drawbacks of other rail-type projects. that said, 5M for this is a laughable amount, you can build a whole mile of freeway for that amount.
$5M is approximately half of what it took for Musk's Boring Company to build a single mile of tunnel that barely functioned enough to carry one auto. This $5M might result in a report, at best.
You're right... scam implies they're aware that they're bullshitting. I think Elon really believes himself.
I guess a better term is 'A joke'?
Except Elon's not the only way trying to make this a reality. He's done very little other than put the idea out there, and hold competitions so students can test different ideas. The Idea of a partially evacuated tube used for travel isn't new or untested. It won't be built here in the US first. I figure it'll happen in India or UAE and probably Europe before it ever comes to the US. But, high speed transport linking major cities is one way to solve housing crisis in big cities. It would be great for business. It would be great for Job seekers. Imagine if you could live 200 - 300 miles from where you work, and get there within 30 minutes?
I just feel like we're chasing the promise of a yet-unproven technology while at the same time ignoring and under-funding an existing technology that would get us 75%-80% of the same result.
I don't need to *imagine* a robust high speed rail network because in most of the rest of the developed world it exists already.
Japan has had 200 mph trains in service for 55 years.
Meanwhile the US can't keep AMTRAK from crashing. And they're going to build a Hyperloop?
U$A!
200 km/h, not mph. Shinkansen traveling at 200 mph are less than a decade old and only a few max out at that speed.
Correct, thanks. Only 125 mph. Since 1964.
And, there's automobile industry in the US that's worked hard to make sure trains didn't advance too far. More than once congress has raided funds that have been set aside for high speed trains / mag lev investments.
Keep in mind that the Federal government paid for more than 80% of the original highway system that was put in place. States paid only a fraction of the cost. If the US had invested in rail that way instead of roads, things might be different. Additionally, properly laws in some of these countries make it a lot less expensive to for the government to get right of way to build rail.
Nothing about the above comment doesn't also apply to a hyperloop concept.
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