An international consortium wants to build a 300 mph Magnetic Levitation train line northward from Washington, DC to Baltimore - for reasons that have practically nothing to do with Baltimore. That's how they came up with the rather strange idea of putting Baltimore's station in Cherry Hill of all places. If that doesn't succeed, they'll shrug it off as just a first phase prototype misstep and they'll remain focused on the ultimate prize of getting Maglev to New York and then to the rest of the country, while only Baltimore pays for their failure. So it's up to Baltimore to make it work.
The obvious reason why the Maglev planners are focused on Cherry Hill is that it is the least expensive option. The station can be built above ground, with light rail access along with barely adequate ramps to the Baltimore-Washington Parkway. This project would certainly be a major shake-up to the community, as opportunistic new Maglev related high-end development would attempt to coexist with the current lower income residents, which would no doubt result in a serious culture clash.
The official plan also calls for an additional underground station at Thurgood Marshall BWI Airport, to demonstrate the connectivity of Maglev to the international air network. This would show that Maglev is "world class".
No one really knows how the relationship between Maglev and air travel will ultimately shake out, but at least the world community would be able to identify with it. Many of them will want to use Maglev from BWI when they visit the nation's capital, and this will provide a great exposure to America's version of this state-of-the-art technology.
But ironically, many people see Maglev from the opposite perspective - as a way to significantly reduce air travel in order to reduce air congestion and global greenhouse gasses. So using Maglev to serve air travelers who would then be lured away from air travel would be a contradictory short term solution at best.
Success would not be measured by how well Maglev serves BWI, but simply by how well it leads to the next step. No ridership projections have yet been published and they would be highly questionable anyway, since there is no real precedent.
Ultimately, any major new transportation mode becomes its own cultural force, which reshapes the world in its own way. Starting in the 1950s, the new commercial airline industry created the "jet set" of frequent flyers for whom the entire world was their domain. Similarly, automobile travel was creating suburbia.
So what Maglev eventually does has yet to be determined. MagLev could create a new generation of affluent world citizens who live and work in a place like Baltimore, do business in Washington and regularly go to New York for high energy urban mingling and fun. This would be a welcome relief from a Baltimore that some critics say is forever mired in the rust belt.
So it's a golden opportunity for Baltimore to be the nation's first MagLev destination, but in the big picture, what ultimately happens to Baltimore will be of little concern to Maglev planners. Trip patterns will simply conform to demands. In the future, trains will be able to whiz through Baltimore without stopping on their way from Washington to New York if that's what the demand dictates, resulting in time and cost savings which will become the bottom line.
So Maglev planners want to build a BWI Airport Station and a prototypical "real world" station in Baltimore, and they want to build them at the lowest possible cost. So that's what they've designed with the proposed Cherry Hill Station, on an odd vacant parcel under a power line right-of-way. Back in 2007, I proposed this site for a new Greyhound Bus station. The powers-that-be didn't think it was good enough for Greyhound then, but now it may be good enough for Maglev.
They've also offered a workable but much higher cost alternative with a station at Camden Yards instead of Cherry Hill. This serves Baltimore's desire for a much stronger local Maglev presence, but it does not appear to meet any of the primary needs of the Maglev planners for the system as a whole. So the Maglev investors will likely treat it as a frill which they will build only if it is paid for by others. So far, the State of Maryland has seen no reason to pledge money to the Maglev project.
Meanwhile, local reactions to the Maglev project have started polarizing as an either/or choice between "jet set" Maglev and priorities for more localized transit needs. But local versus regional transit is a false choice, since Maglev underwriters don't really care about local needs. So local planners must propose alternatives which make them care.
Here are the primary guidelines for resolving this conflict:
1. The desired Maglev access to BWI Airport should be provided, but it does not need to be great access. Air travel has many access constraints from security procedures to air congestion. The time savings from high speed Maglev access can and will be very readily eaten up by waits in the security lines or circling the airport. Maglev must not pretend to be some kind of solution to air travel's problems.
2. The initial Baltimore Maglev station should be planned to maximize its positive local impact at the lowest cost. Just being feasible is not enough.
3. Even though the city's ultimate goal should be to establish the best possible downtown Maglev station, since this is the chief criterion for long-term success, this probably needs to be a battle for a later time. There simply is no way that an adequate downtown station (such as has been proposed at Camden Yards, or at the Mechanic Theater or Post Office sites) can be built for a comparable cost to the lowest cost alternative. Consequently, the cheaper Cherry Hill station site would be seen as "close enough" to downtown by the project investors, even though it really isn't close enough by any reasonable local standard.
So a less expensive and more effective alternative to Cherry Hill is needed.
It would also stimulate spin-off development at the long-stalled Westport waterfront located two light rail stops to the north,. Beyond that, it could create an impetus for an entire Maglev oriented development corridor along the existing light rail line, as well as potential new light rail loop to Port Covington and to the Cherry Hill and Brooklyn waterfronts. Baltimore would then be in a position to grow as an integral part of the new Maglev culture as it expands from Washington to New York and beyond.
This light rail loop concept was first described here as a longer version of the Port Covington spur which has been proposed by Under Armour's development company. A Maglev station at Patapsco Hill would justify completing the loop so that its riders would have a direct ride between Port Covington, the Maglev station and BWI Airport.
Patapsco Hill would be the lowest cost Maglev alternative, since it would completely eliminate the BWI Airport station and would be over a mile shorter than the Cherry Hill route. It would also facilitate a far more direct alignment as the Maglev line is eventually extended northward toward New York.
In contrast, an elevated Cherry Hill Maglev Station would create a major alignment problem as it descends back underground to the north, requiring a huge portal which would occupy a large piece of land, most likely along the Westport waterfront. This issue has not been addressed in the most recent Maglev report and could be a fatal flaw of the Cherry Hill station. Even if it isn't fatal, it would seriously reduce the potential development sites available without displacement from the existing communities.
In contrast, a Patapsco Avenue Maglev Station and light rail spur would open up a huge amount of prime waterfront development property in Cherry Hill and Brooklyn, with the additional attribute of remaining in close proximity to large lower income working class populations, which is something that cannot be said for most of Baltimore's current growth areas which have perpetuated the "Two Baltimores" segregation.
And incidentally: That link is to a post in the context of presenting alternate sites for Amazon's East Coast headquarters. Now that Northern Virginia has won that competition and New York has blown it, a Baltimore site within a 15 minute Maglev ride of Washington would become Amazon's next best choice. With the New York debacle, Amazon (and Mayor Pugh) should now have a new appreciation for the local support which Amazon received from Baltimore communities (most notably Old Goucher).
The Patapsco Hill Station site is also far enough from downtown that it would not preclude an additional station near the heart of Downtown Baltimore when the Maglev line is eventually extended northward. The Shot Tower / Post Office site as recommended here would be an ideal complement, since it is at the opposite end of downtown.
As its first destination, Baltimore needs to play an integral role in getting Maglev going and determining what benefits Maglev can provide. The city's geographic place has always been it's greatest strength.
 |
| Patapsco River and Southwest Park as seen from Interstate 895 (lower right), with a possible Maglev oriented Patapsco Hill skyline shown in the background. |
The obvious reason why the Maglev planners are focused on Cherry Hill is that it is the least expensive option. The station can be built above ground, with light rail access along with barely adequate ramps to the Baltimore-Washington Parkway. This project would certainly be a major shake-up to the community, as opportunistic new Maglev related high-end development would attempt to coexist with the current lower income residents, which would no doubt result in a serious culture clash.
The official plan also calls for an additional underground station at Thurgood Marshall BWI Airport, to demonstrate the connectivity of Maglev to the international air network. This would show that Maglev is "world class".
No one really knows how the relationship between Maglev and air travel will ultimately shake out, but at least the world community would be able to identify with it. Many of them will want to use Maglev from BWI when they visit the nation's capital, and this will provide a great exposure to America's version of this state-of-the-art technology.
But ironically, many people see Maglev from the opposite perspective - as a way to significantly reduce air travel in order to reduce air congestion and global greenhouse gasses. So using Maglev to serve air travelers who would then be lured away from air travel would be a contradictory short term solution at best.
Success would not be measured by how well Maglev serves BWI, but simply by how well it leads to the next step. No ridership projections have yet been published and they would be highly questionable anyway, since there is no real precedent.
Ultimately, any major new transportation mode becomes its own cultural force, which reshapes the world in its own way. Starting in the 1950s, the new commercial airline industry created the "jet set" of frequent flyers for whom the entire world was their domain. Similarly, automobile travel was creating suburbia.
So what Maglev eventually does has yet to be determined. MagLev could create a new generation of affluent world citizens who live and work in a place like Baltimore, do business in Washington and regularly go to New York for high energy urban mingling and fun. This would be a welcome relief from a Baltimore that some critics say is forever mired in the rust belt.
Baltimore must look after Baltimore
So it's a golden opportunity for Baltimore to be the nation's first MagLev destination, but in the big picture, what ultimately happens to Baltimore will be of little concern to Maglev planners. Trip patterns will simply conform to demands. In the future, trains will be able to whiz through Baltimore without stopping on their way from Washington to New York if that's what the demand dictates, resulting in time and cost savings which will become the bottom line.
So Maglev planners want to build a BWI Airport Station and a prototypical "real world" station in Baltimore, and they want to build them at the lowest possible cost. So that's what they've designed with the proposed Cherry Hill Station, on an odd vacant parcel under a power line right-of-way. Back in 2007, I proposed this site for a new Greyhound Bus station. The powers-that-be didn't think it was good enough for Greyhound then, but now it may be good enough for Maglev.
They've also offered a workable but much higher cost alternative with a station at Camden Yards instead of Cherry Hill. This serves Baltimore's desire for a much stronger local Maglev presence, but it does not appear to meet any of the primary needs of the Maglev planners for the system as a whole. So the Maglev investors will likely treat it as a frill which they will build only if it is paid for by others. So far, the State of Maryland has seen no reason to pledge money to the Maglev project.
Meanwhile, local reactions to the Maglev project have started polarizing as an either/or choice between "jet set" Maglev and priorities for more localized transit needs. But local versus regional transit is a false choice, since Maglev underwriters don't really care about local needs. So local planners must propose alternatives which make them care.
Here are the primary guidelines for resolving this conflict:
1. The desired Maglev access to BWI Airport should be provided, but it does not need to be great access. Air travel has many access constraints from security procedures to air congestion. The time savings from high speed Maglev access can and will be very readily eaten up by waits in the security lines or circling the airport. Maglev must not pretend to be some kind of solution to air travel's problems.
2. The initial Baltimore Maglev station should be planned to maximize its positive local impact at the lowest cost. Just being feasible is not enough.
3. Even though the city's ultimate goal should be to establish the best possible downtown Maglev station, since this is the chief criterion for long-term success, this probably needs to be a battle for a later time. There simply is no way that an adequate downtown station (such as has been proposed at Camden Yards, or at the Mechanic Theater or Post Office sites) can be built for a comparable cost to the lowest cost alternative. Consequently, the cheaper Cherry Hill station site would be seen as "close enough" to downtown by the project investors, even though it really isn't close enough by any reasonable local standard.
So a less expensive and more effective alternative to Cherry Hill is needed.
 |
| Possible future Patapsco Hill development, just to the south (right) of Patapsco Avenue, with its light rail station in the lower right and Cherry Hill neighborhood to the east (left). |
Best and lowest cost Maglev station site: Patapsco Hill
Patapsco Hill is a huge, hidden and largely forgotten site which is now occupied by an ugly, marginal truck storage yard on Patapsco Avenue at the south city line, adjacent to Southwest Park in Baltimore County. It also has two light rail stations which provide direct service to BWI Airport and downtown and is adjacent to Interstate 895.
This site also happens to be shown in the masthead photo at the top of this blog. The greenery in the foreground at the bottom of the photo is Southwest Park. The shiny mass behind the park is the truck yard, underneath the downtown Baltimore skyline in the background. The Baltimore Highlands neighborhood can be easily seen to the left.
This site also happens to be shown in the masthead photo at the top of this blog. The greenery in the foreground at the bottom of the photo is Southwest Park. The shiny mass behind the park is the truck yard, underneath the downtown Baltimore skyline in the background. The Baltimore Highlands neighborhood can be easily seen to the left.
The configuration of the park is such that the MagLev Station could easily be built underground using the most efficient top-down or cut-and-cover technique recommended by the engineers, and when completed, the park could be restored and greatly enhanced on top of it. The light rail line could even be buried and integrated along with the MagLev line at little additional cost, providing the best and most seamless possible connections. The truck yard along Patapsco Avenue would then be a major opportunity for Maglev oriented development, minimizing negative impacts on the existing Baltimore Highlands and Cherry Hill communities.
The two light rail stations would be located at either end of the Maglev station. At the south end, the Baltimore Highlands Station would provide the main connection to BWI Airport, while the Patapsco Avenue Station at the north end would connect to the new development and the existing feeder bus terminal. The current light rail travel time to the airport terminal is 15 minutes, and this could be reduced by several more minutes by eliminating several station stops which many folks in the community want to get rid of anyway. Trains to Cromwell/Glen Burnie could still stop at these stations if desired.
A Patapsco Hill Maglev Station would be uniquely convenient to the airport, as well as to both downtown Washington and Baltimore. It would thus stimulate related development in a way that no other site could. |
| Patapsco Hill Maglev Station could be built here underneath Southwest Park, along with the Baltimore Highlands light rail station relocated from its current site shown in the foreground. |
It would also stimulate spin-off development at the long-stalled Westport waterfront located two light rail stops to the north,. Beyond that, it could create an impetus for an entire Maglev oriented development corridor along the existing light rail line, as well as potential new light rail loop to Port Covington and to the Cherry Hill and Brooklyn waterfronts. Baltimore would then be in a position to grow as an integral part of the new Maglev culture as it expands from Washington to New York and beyond.
This light rail loop concept was first described here as a longer version of the Port Covington spur which has been proposed by Under Armour's development company. A Maglev station at Patapsco Hill would justify completing the loop so that its riders would have a direct ride between Port Covington, the Maglev station and BWI Airport.
 |
| Maglev-Light Rail Development Corridor, encompassing Patapsco Hill, Brooklyn, Cherry Hill, Westport and Port Covington. Existing light rail is shown in blue, and proposed loop in yellow. |
Patapsco Hill would be the lowest cost Maglev alternative, since it would completely eliminate the BWI Airport station and would be over a mile shorter than the Cherry Hill route. It would also facilitate a far more direct alignment as the Maglev line is eventually extended northward toward New York.
In contrast, an elevated Cherry Hill Maglev Station would create a major alignment problem as it descends back underground to the north, requiring a huge portal which would occupy a large piece of land, most likely along the Westport waterfront. This issue has not been addressed in the most recent Maglev report and could be a fatal flaw of the Cherry Hill station. Even if it isn't fatal, it would seriously reduce the potential development sites available without displacement from the existing communities.
In contrast, a Patapsco Avenue Maglev Station and light rail spur would open up a huge amount of prime waterfront development property in Cherry Hill and Brooklyn, with the additional attribute of remaining in close proximity to large lower income working class populations, which is something that cannot be said for most of Baltimore's current growth areas which have perpetuated the "Two Baltimores" segregation.
And incidentally: That link is to a post in the context of presenting alternate sites for Amazon's East Coast headquarters. Now that Northern Virginia has won that competition and New York has blown it, a Baltimore site within a 15 minute Maglev ride of Washington would become Amazon's next best choice. With the New York debacle, Amazon (and Mayor Pugh) should now have a new appreciation for the local support which Amazon received from Baltimore communities (most notably Old Goucher).
The Patapsco Hill Station site is also far enough from downtown that it would not preclude an additional station near the heart of Downtown Baltimore when the Maglev line is eventually extended northward. The Shot Tower / Post Office site as recommended here would be an ideal complement, since it is at the opposite end of downtown.
Getting Maglev moving
The most important priority must simply be to get the Maglev project moving. The international investors see the entire United States as a fertile "blank slate" for their technology, unencumbered by competition from conventional high speed rail which already has a stronghold in Europe and East Asia. The existing Amtrak Northeast Corridor line would be complimentary, not competitive, since its inherent speeds will remain far slower. Amtrak's main advantage will always be that it has far more stations and will thus accommodate much shorter trips than Maglev.
As its first destination, Baltimore needs to play an integral role in getting Maglev going and determining what benefits Maglev can provide. The city's geographic place has always been it's greatest strength.
A Maglev station at Patapsco Hill is where this role can best be played at minimum cost and maximum benefit.
Why would they consider the Cherry Hill location for a station over Westport? It seems like Westport has the same benefits/lower cost as Cherry Hill, but has more land, connections, and visibility. Their interactive map shows Westport as the Rolling Stock Depot for the Camden Yards station option. Seems like Westport has the land for the station and RSD.
ReplyDeleteRolling stock depot? I missed that! Thank you for informing us! I decided to respond to you quickly rather than trying to dig through the report, but the basic reason for Cherry Hill is that it can be elevated, while Westport would have to be underground and would thus be much more expensive. That would most likely apply to the rolling stock depot as well. I wouldn't be too confident that either location will actually turn out to be feasible. It sure seems like this whole process is being dictated by engineering rather than broadly based planning.
DeleteIf that is the case, cutting out the BWI station would make a lot of $ense. It is funny that they would make exceptions and spend lots of money tunneling for a BWI station, but not a Baltimore station.
ReplyDeleteWell said! Fortunately, they haven't really settled anything yet. By the way, according to Figure 30 on page 72, the only Rolling Stock Depot that is being retained for study in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement is near Route 198 east of Laurel, which would also be the maintenance yard. (I couldn't get the interactive map to work on my computer.)
DeleteWhile designing a route to the airport, there should be some airport parking area for travellers as well where they can easily park their car after arriving at the airport.
ReplyDeletemeet and greet Manchester
A route to reach airport is great and interesting thing is train line for hill station is better than airport. Wonderful post.
ReplyDeleteManchester airport cheap parking
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ReplyDelete