Hyperloop for Virginia

The rapid growth of cities across our nation is testing the limits of existing infrastructure and exposing citizens to unacceptable hardship on a daily basis. Not only are the metropolises themselves hemorrhaging from congestion and blockage, but the impact on outlying suburbia and satellite communities is equally fractious.

It would not be an exaggeration to label the experience millions of commuters undergo on a daily basis as profoundly wasteful and inefficient; the cost on human capital and productively is staggering, let alone the energy and resource expenditure. This is nothing short of a simmering humanitarian crisis.

As local, State, and Federal authorities are exploring options, setting policies, and allocating budgets, what is becoming apparent and indeed required, is a paradigm shift in the way we approach transportation, and in fact, mobility and connectivity in the Age of Smart. This is especially apropos with the algorithmic advance of modern technologies and innovations, disrupting and transforming modalities and markets, and even cultures.

The Hyperloop concept is one of the leading technology and solutions platforms that can ripple outward as an anchor initiative with far-reaching economic and social impact. An integrated long-view vision is the only path forward…

Northern Virginia, especially, has become the land of ten thousand traffic jams; this is the shared reality for every commuter traveling the North and South-bound lanes of Interstate 95. This clogged arterial system is a threat to the Commonwealth of Virginia’s prosperity; and while road and rail expansions may partially alleviate congestion, time, money, and environmental concerns demand a drastically new perspective able the address current concerns with scalable long-view approach proactively shaping and directing policy and sustainable growth for future generations. In a recent US News and World Report study, 100,000 hotspots in 25 states were evaluated for traffic congestion, and the Fairfax to Fredericksburg region was ranked worst in our nation.

Lots of growth and little land are the two driving factors to why traffic is so snarled. But these high-density developments provide the catalyst for change. A multimodal transportation system that combines Virginia Rail Express, Metro Rail, Metro Bus, VDOT Hot Lanes and our existing roadway network, when joined with Hyperloop will bring a revolution to the transportation industry. The future of transportation is at stake, and the growth of our economy depends on it.

In conjunction with climate change and its impact on coastal communities along Eastern Seaboard, population growth, and demographic and market shifts, failing infrastructure and obsolescence warrant decisive leadership. Time is of the essence and proactive rather than reactive action is required -- the longer we wait, the further we fall behind, and the greater of its impact on our communities.

We envision that with our Nation’s Capital as a backdrop, the first Hyperloop route will connect Springfield to Stafford. Further projects will head north and connect Ronald Reagan National Airport to Maryland’s BWI network. The Southern route will link to Richmond. In total, a 150-mile corridor, The Capital Region of Baltimore, Washington, and Richmond, will be united through the Hyperloop system and its promise of high speed and affordable conductivity for people and their dreams. This region, the third largest in the Nation, and 7th largest regional economy in the world needs Hyperloop to achieve growth and create economic opportunities for all its residents.

Hyperloop Technology is the future of transportation and smart growth. Federal, State, and local governments; architects, contractors, and engineers; energy and technology companies; schools and universities; chambers of commerce; and environmental organizations: we can all unite in support of a modern transportation system that moves people and products more seamlessly while reducing fossil fuel emissions. There is no other state in the Union that needs this system more, and in return, Virginia provides the greatest stage to showcase how this multimodal system will revolutionize our world.