This is a required read for anyone interested in Transportation issues in the US. Keep in mind that this was issued in 1993, now 15 years ago... had the conclusions of the report been heeded, I might have been able to travel to Dallas, DC, even NY, by rail, instead of spending dozens of hours uncomfortably waiting in various airports. The most crucial quotes come early, of course : The purpose of this report is to recommend future Government action regarding maglev.
The NMI has concluded that the potential benefits from a U.S. maglev system are sufficient to justify initiation of a development program. During such a program, the remaining technological, economic, and environmental questions must be fully addressed so that maglev's full potential in an integrated transportation system can be understood. Thus, it is recommended that the Federal Government initiate the first phase of a competitive-based USML development program to develop an advanced maglev system. To benefit fully from recent maglev development abroad, joint ventures between U.S. companies and foreign companies should be permitted to the extent that development activities take place substantially in the United States.
There's tons of interesting stuff here, particularly viewed through the lens of history : On the highways, development trends and travel patterns in metropolitan areas are causing congestion on intercity routes. Intercity highway travelers are now subject to delays that are local in origin, especially during peak travel hours. A 1989 General Accounting Office report on highway congestion estimated that by the year 2000, 70 percent of peak-hour travelers will experience highway congestion delays with costs to the Nation exceeding $100 billion annually. Approximately 91 percent of all urban freeway delay occurs in 37 metropolitan areas with populations greater than 1 million people. Many of these are the same urban areas suffering from air pollution. A 1991 Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) report, "The Status of the Nation's Highways and Bridges," stated: By all performance measures of highway congestion and delay, performance is declining Congestion now affects more areas, more often, for longer periods and with more impacts on highway users and the economy than any time in the nation's history.
And, one of my favorites : To meet travel demand, airlines have used regional hubs to achieve more efficient use of aircraft and to offer more varied and frequent service. This practice has accentuated traffic peaking as flights from several origins are brought together within a short period of time at a single airport. If peaking and adverse weather conditions converge, delays at one airport can cause backups to ripple throughout the air travel system.
Indeed. By the end of this century, if relief strategies are not developed, 18 additional U.S. airports could experience the same congestion at a cost of over $8 billion per year, even with some planned capacity improvements in place. The public is likely to encounter greater costs, diminished convenience and quality of service, and possibly diminished safety if strategies are not planned now that take account of developing domestic and international travel needs.
haha! Thank you NMI, you have predicted my life! The challenge of the NMI was to integrate economic and technical findings to provide a basis for recommendations on the prospects for maglev in the United States. Clearly, it is important to plan, analyze, and assess now in order to have an option that will be available some 15 to 20 years hence.
It is now "15 years hence" and I still don't have my fucking trains. And, the reason it hasn't happened? A USML System Has the Potential for Revenues to Exceed Life
Cycle Costs in One Corridor, and to Cover Operating Costs and a
Substantial Portion of Capital Costs in Others If a USML system
with the characteristics shown in the above table were installed
in the 10 top U.S. corridor markets, its revenues would cover
operating costs, with substantial contribution to capital costs
in all corridors. In the Northeast Corridor, its revenues would
cover total life cycle costs. In the other corridors significant
public investment would be required.
It'd have to be paid for by taxes. Of course, with all the money we've spent in Iraq, we could've developed all the tech from scratch, installed lines between every major city, and had enough left over to run them for the next century. Final Report on the National Maglev Initiative | 
