From Los Angeles to San Francisco in 30 minutes

Hi Viatologists,

The Hyperloop is one idea getting thrown out there for high-speed travel. Passengers are pushed through air tubes from one location to the next, traveling at speeds of 500+ MPH.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2MBnAMLzdo

This type of solution, in theory, would make it very fast to move between Los Angeles and San Francisco. Imagine a 30 minute commute. Proponents argue that the Hyperloop could borrow the right-of-way along Interstate 5 and Interstate 580, where it could be elevated from freeway traffic.

While I'm a huge proponent of high-speed rail in California, there are three distinct advantages of the Hyperloop which (in theory) make it a better candidate for statewide travel.

First, there is the option to transport vehicles in the Hyperloop. Imagine driving your car to the San Fernando Valley, then loading your car into the Hyperloop. 30 minutes later, you're in the San Francisco East Bay with access to three Interstates (238/580/880). If you're traveling sans auto, you can pick up BART and continue on.

Second, the Hyperloop will largely be powered by solar panels. Much of the energy required will derive from the sun, pushing passengers from one place to the next with a minimal carbon footprint. Even for a state that uses cleaner natural gas, moving to solar power would be a tremendous leap forward for long-distance travel.

Lastly, there is the cost. In theory, it would cost less than $10 billion to create a Hyperloop between LA and SF. In all practicality, the cost would be far from ideal. Let's say the Hyperloop's cost balloons to 200% over the initial estimate, similar to what's happened w/ California's high-speed rail. This would be just a $20 billion price tag versus the $70+ billion being created for high-speed rail.

If deployed, the California Hyperloop would be an excellent bellwether for other metropolitan areas around the world. But let's see if this idea takes off. Politics would likely slow down the development. Though if something like there were to be completed, I definitely would enjoy the opportunity of eating breakfast at the Embarcardero, followed by a late morning hike at Griffith Park.

Cheers,

Carl Rogers
"Environment first, transportology second"
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