By Barbara Sollner-Webb
Prince George’s Executive Committee Member
November 2020
You may, or may not, have heard of certain developers' big push for a 40-mile SCMAGLEV (superconducting magnetic levitation railway system), advertised to whisk folks in 15 minutes the 40 miles from DC (Mount Vernon Square) to Baltimore (terminal location undecided but not unlikely a site without public transportation!). This plan is being pushed by the Baltimore Washington Rapid Rail (BWRR) Company in collaboration with the Central Japan Railway Company, and they also have enlisted Maryland Governor Larry Hogan and $27 million of your tax money. As summarized below, there are several reasons why it is worthwhile—and essential—to get involved in fighting this project.
Currently, Japan has a short run (approximately 20 miles) for its own MAGLEV. It is not financially self-sustaining, and the developers want to expand internationally. Various routes for this Japanese SCMAGLEV have been aired over the last three years, with homeowner and community opposition driving developers to now propose only two abutting routes, which have above-ground portions on either side of the Baltimore-Washington Parkway and below-ground portions extending into DC and Baltimore (see map below from BWRR). Because these above-ground portions—by far the most intrusive—are "merely" through federal and city-owned parkland and other green areas, the developers hope to have less citizen opposition and to get that land for, essentially, free.
Consider the Cost
The SCMAGLEV's public relations arm touts that the system will take cars off the road, thus markedly reducing CO2. But the involved companies refuse to admit the cost of a ticket—information that seems crucial to projecting ridership.
However, a 2013 push for a similar DC to Baltimore MAGLEV (a more-tested version by a German company) was eventually abandoned in good part after the developers admitted that a one-way ticket could cost $150 to $200. And there seems no reason to believe that this current Japanese-based SCMAGLEV would be any less costly.
However, many citizens fear the eventual "estimated" ticket price in the current SCMAGLEV effort will be low-balled to make it look as if it is not intended just for the economic top 0.1 percent of the population. Early in the process, proponents admitted they do not care to make money on this initial DC-to-Baltimore section; mainly, they just want to get their feet in the door so they can expand up to New York and even Boston and Richmond.
Community Invasions
The underground portions of the planned SCMAGLEV would be quite intrusive on the communities overhead. This includes not only short-term noise and vibrations from the drilling/boring during construction (especially in communities where the train get nearer to ground level) but the installation of permanent ventilation towers that, among other things, would exhaust noxious gas in the event of a fire
A good part of the underground portions run through economically disadvantaged communities of color whose residents would negligibly use this train, so social justice is a real issue.
However, the above-ground invasion promises to be far worse. As each train whooshes by (and there are estimated to be multiple trains each hour), the rapid air disturbance will generate a sudden spike the company admits will be over 85 decibels(dB). Being well above the tree line, it should carry far and wide, into the abutting parkland and residential areas, including Maryland City, Montpelier, Woodbridge Crossing, and others. The point when the high-speed train emerges from the underground promises to be the most intrusive. Each train's emergence will generate considerably more noise than the above-ground 85 dB.
Land, Land and More Land
Of course, a considerable amount of land would be consumed for the tracks' right-of-way and towers, the very long structures where the tunnels emerge from the ground and various other facilities including a rail yard called a transit maintenance facility (TMF)—the size of 10 Pentagons!
In the current plan, much of that land comes from now-green federal and other governmental holdings: the forest now shielding the BW parkway as well as land from NASA, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center (BARC), the North Tract of the Patuxent Wildlife Research Refuge, and the city of Greenbelt. Two of the possible rail yards are within the floodplains of, and in fact include, existing rivers; and one (BARC west) now contains what is perhaps Maryland's rarest plant, the white-fringed orchid.
As a few key examples of SCMAGLEV-induced degradation, the environmental and recreational value of much of the currently wonderful North Tract of the Patuxent Wildlife Research Refuge and of Greenbelt's Forest Preserve would be made virtually useless by all the noise from passing SCMAGLEV trains and in part also by actual land takings. Right at Greenbelt's Forest Preserve, both routes emerge from below ground, with one consuming much of the park itself; and at the North Tract of the Patuxent Wildlife Research Refuge, one route is overhead while the other re-enters the ground abutting what is now a beloved equestrian, biking and bird-watching trail ("Wild Turkey Way")— whose users, and likely also the wildlife, would surely flee in desperation from the noise.
Unanswered Questions
Although claimed to be "free" to taxpayers, as it is run by a private company, many economists fear this SCMAGLEV will require yet more tax money (besides the $27 million already put forth), especially if it goes belly-up. And, as highlighted above, it’s usurping a great deal of irreplaceable green public land--an enormous environmental cost.
Numerous "details" of the project still remain obscured. Here are a few examples:
- How does their route selection not violate the federal prohibition from using Section 4(f) property (public parkland, wildlife or waterfowl refuge land, or historic resources) unless there is "no feasible and prudent avoidance alternative"?
- How can the overhead portion of the SCMAGLEV, advertised to emit 79 dB when measured at 25 meters, meet Maryland's COMAR regulations for such a rapidly increasing noise, which is 60 dB at the property line (that is closer than the calculated 25 meters)?
- Why do they refuse to give any promise of the ridership cost?
- Isn't a great deal of energy required to chill the entire track to the 452 degrees below zero Fahrenheit (only 8 degrees above absolute zero) that’s needed for the superconducting magnets?
- What evidence is there about the possible effects of the emitted electromagnetic waves on the navigation of migrating birds who stop at the Patuxent Wildlife Research Refuge?
- How can the SCMAGLEV be considered more public-friendly than an upgrade of Amtrak's tracks and tunnels (Amtrak NexGen), which is currently under study?
Speak Up and Let Your Voice Be Heard!
The federally-mandated draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) for this project is expected to be released for public review and comments in the first quarter of 2021. But citizens need to stand up now, even before its release, to argue to protect these important green lands as well as the impacted residences. [Note that federal regulations require the DEIS to show independent utility for the DC-to-Baltimore portion, without consideration of any future possible expansion to New York (touted to be a one-hour trip), and that a "no-build" option must be given fair consideration.
Fearing that comments submitted only to BWRR might somehow "disappear" and sending to all the elected officials who should know your feelings can be time-consuming, wonderful Greenbelt activists Brian and Donna Almquist would love you to send a copy of your letter to them (greenbeltadvocates.esj@gmail.com); they will even forward your letter to the needed elected officials if you ask them to do that. Also please consider signing their petition at www.change.org/p/larry-hogan-stop-the-train-support-the-no-build-alternative.
Where the Politicians Stand
The following have stated their opposition to the SCMAGLEV plan:
- All four members of the District 21 State delegation: State Senator Jim Rosapepe and State Delegates Mary Lehman, Joseline Pena-Melnyk and Ben Barnes
- District 47A State Delegate Julian Ivey
- County Council Members Tom Dernoga and Dannielle Glaros.
State Senators Paul Pinsky and Doug Peters also appear to be opposed; Federal House Representative Anthony Brown and Senator Chris Van Hollen are reportedly sympathetic to hearing the citizens' voices; but Senator Steny Hoyer and Senator Ben Cardin appear positively disposed. And it is the federal officials who will be most influential in the final decision.
ACT NOW: Please share your feelings and thoughts on the SCMAGLEV, and try to get your friends and neighbors involved too.