In 1998 Congress passed the "Transportation Equity Act for the 21st
Century" making available more than $ 218 billion over a six year period for surface transportation assistance to states and localities. Section 1218 of this Act created a National Magnetic Levitation Transportation Technology Deployment Program. The program is administered by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), a unit of the Department of Transportation. The objective of the program is to demonstrate high speed maglev technology in commercial service through a project of about 40 miles in length, so that it can be considered later in the century for implementation in a longer distance intercity corridor application.
As provided for in Section 1218, federal funding consists of $55 million for preconstruction planning to identify the most promising project through a competitive process , and up to $950 million for final engineering and construction of the guideway of the one selected project. The Federal funds for planning and construction must be matched 1/3 to 2/3 by state, local, or private contributions. To be eligible for Federal construction funding, each project must demonstrate that operating revenues will exceed operating costs, and total benefits will exceed total costs over a 40-year period.
Applications for projects were solicited from states or their designated authorities, and in May 1999 seven projects were selected to participate in a one-year program of preconstruction planning needed to identify the most promising project. Sponsors of the following projects were given planning grants: Los Angeles, CA; Cape Canaveral, FL; Atlanta, GA to Chattanooga, TN; New Orleans, LA; Baltimore, MD to Washington, DC; Las Vegas, NV to Anaheim, CA; and Pittsburgh, PA.
Each of the seven projects submitted a Project Description to FRA on June 30, 2000. The Project Descriptions include: projected environmental effects, costs of construction, equipment, and operations and maintenance; estimates of ridership and revenues; an implementation schedule; operating plans; a management plan defining a public/private partnership that will plan, finance, construct and operate the project; and a financial plan.
A multi-disciplined selection review committee from the Department of Transportation reviewed the Project Descriptions received from the seven competing projects. The committee reported to the Secretary on the merits of each project, to assist him in selecting the most promising projects to receive continued federal support for the pre-construction planning.
The Department of Transportation selected the Maryland and Pennsylvania projects to continue to the next stage of the program. A Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement was published and distributed on April 20, 2001 that selected the "action alternative" to continue the program as the preferred alternative, and identified the Maryland and Pennsylvania projects for continued evaluation and project development. Two additional projects in Nevada and California have been identified by Congress for additional planning. Any decision to proceed with the construction phase would be contingent upon Congressional appropriations and completion of a site-specific Environmental Impact Statement for the selected project.
Maglev Press Releases
U.S. Secretary of Transportation Slater Selects Two High Speed Maglev Projects
(1/18/01)
Secretary Slater Announces Finalists for Maglev Technology Deployment Program
(5/24/99)
Other Maglev Links