Original article by Colin Campbell - Baltimore Sun
Edited by: Dan Woomer
Jun 23, 2021 at 12:35 PM
Baltimore has officially recommended against building the proposed high-speed
Northeast Maglev train to Washington, citing concerns about equity and the project’s
effects on the environment.
Chris Ryer and Steve Sharkey, the city’s planning and transportation chiefs,
recommended a “No Build Alternative” for the $10 billion project [Editor’s note: current
cost project is $16 Billion] in a May 14 letter to the Federal Railroad Administration in
response to the project’s draft environmental impact statement. The Sun obtained the
letter this week.
“The City of Baltimore has several concerns … related to equity, environmental justice,
and community impacts,” they wrote. “Additionally, the draft lacks a sufficient level of
detail regarding current and future plans for the project which makes a comprehensive
analysis difficult. The proposed project is also not aligned with significant efforts
underway to upgrade existing rail infrastructure in the corridor.”
Using Japanese superconducting magnetic levitation technology, the train promises to
shorten the trip between Baltimore and Washington to 15 minutes before eventually
being expanded to New York, creating an hourlong trip between the nation’s capital and
its most populated city. [Editor’s note: with the proposed Baltimore station located in
Cherry Hill, add at least 7 minutes or more to travel light rail from downtown Baltimore to
the Cheery Hill station.]
But Baltimore’s four-page response detailed officials’ concerns about the effects of the
train and the proposed Camden Yards or Cherry Hill stations on local communities and
the environment.
Tickets projected to cost $60 each way, they wrote, “would negate an affordable and
alternate form of transportation to the average citizen, and/or rider(s).” [Editor’s note:
BWRR representatives have recently stated ticket prices as low as $27, with the high-
end cost at $80. This is still more than twice the cost of $10 ticket on MARC for a trip
from downtown Baltimore to Washington, D.C.]
D.C.-to-Baltimore maglev would only benefit rich, Amtrak chief says.
“While numerous local jurisdictions and riders along the corridor would not be served by
the SCMAGLEV, they would be subjected to the construction impacts,” the city officials
said.
The recently announced investments in Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor, including a new
B&P Tunnel named for Frederick Douglass, are “contrary to the SCMAGLEV proposal,”
Ryer and Sharkey wrote.
Mayor Brandon Scott remains “intrigued” by the Maglev project “but [is] primarily
focused on solutions to Baltimore’s acute transportation challenges,” his spokesman Cal
Harris said in a statement.
“The Mayor remains committed to transit equity and ensuring residents can access
reliable transportation options within city limits and across the region,” Harris said.
The Scott Administration’s position on the Maglev does not necessarily doom the
project, which enjoyed the support of previous Democratic Baltimore mayors, including
Stephanie Rawlings-Blake and Catherine Pugh. But the Federal Railroad Administration
will review the city’s recommendation against it, along with other responses, as officials
weigh whether to grant the project federal approval. [Editor’s note: Opposition is strong
and growing. Local governments, county governments, Congressional leadership,
community, civic and numerous environmental groups and organizations have come out
against building the SCMagLev.]
Baltimore Washington Rapid Rail, the company seeking to build the train, was
disappointed to learn of the city’s lack of support and is “working diligently to meet with
these departments so that they may understand fully the significant benefits that the
Maglev will bring,” a spokeswoman said.
The company cast blame on the Maryland Transit Administration, claiming the state
agency assisting with the federal approvals process had not allowed Baltimore
Washington Rapid Rail officials to review the draft environmental impact statement
before submitting it.
“Many of the benefits of the Maglev were not clearly presented in the Draft EIS, which
was authored by consultants to the MTA, without our review and input,” company
spokeswoman Kristen Thomaselli said.
Veronica Battisti, a spokeswoman for the Maryland Transit Administration, said in
statement that Baltimore Washington Rapid Rail, “provided significant technical
information regarding project elements and engineering to support the Federal Railroad
Administration (FRA) and the Maryland Department of Transportation’s (MDOT)
analysis of the Project.
“MDOT and FRA independently evaluated that information and sought additional input
from BWRR,” the statement continued. “The DEIS presents the full range of potential
impacts, including an assessment of the Project benefits.”
Several of the criticisms in the city’s letter can be adequately addressed as the project
moves forward, Thomaselli said. [Editor’s note: Much of the long list of environmental,
community impacts, as well as the impacts on residents along the proposed SCMagLev
route, are severe and cannot be mitigated.]
“We have already been in contact with both Departments to meet, review, and address
all their concerns,” she wrote.
Editor’s Note: To learn more about the long list of costs and impacts on our
communities, environment, and the questions about the safety and financial stability of
the SCMagLev operations, got to www.mcrt-action.org, click on the tab “SCMaglev
Opposition”, and click on the link titled “MCRT SCMagLev DEIS Comments
Submission.” This report, researched and assembled experts working with the Maryland
Coalition for Responsible Transit and submitted to the Federal Railroad Administration,
lays out the long list of reasons why the SCMagLev should not be built, and presents
the reasoning why the existing systems of Amtrak, Amtrak’s Acela, MARC, and VRE
should continue to be enhanced, upgraded and expanded.
Source: Campbell, Colin. “Baltimore City recommends against building proposed $10
billion high-speed Maglev train to Washington.” Baltimore Sun. June 23, 2021.
www.baltimoresun.com/politics/bs-md-ci-baltimore-says-no-maglev-20210623-
itzlcpa7tnbi3d7ty6p2vpfx4a-story.html. And research out of Japan finds the SCMagLev can use up to five times the energy as compared to their high-speed rail. More energy required, more greenhouse gases. For more
