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Maglev project
Yet pats on the back only go so far. Using Ludwig's comparative example of the D.C. Metro system with its 85 stations, imagine what would be required if a steel-wheeled system were built between the same four cities with only 50 stations. No question that the steel wheel on steel rail would be more affordable and convenient than the proposed maglev, but when you factor in the land and building requirements for the 50 stations, the cost would exceed the $2.8 billion for maglev. This is assuming that project could cut through all the local-level red tape required to build this imagined 50-station, convenient route.
Consideration should also be given to the route such a system would take servicing these 50 stations. Wouldn't it also destroy the aesthetics and reduce more land values?
There are no easy answers to any mass transit system being designed or built around the world today. Former U.S. Transportation Secretary Rodney Slater said the Federal Railroad Administration maglev project was an attempt to turn a dream into reality. Actual reality may be that the maglev system being built between Pudong International Airport and downtown Shanghai, China, will be built and running before any decision is made in this country. Then that system in China will be the showcase for maglev technology for the world, not Pittsburgh or Baltimore-Washington.
Greensburg
