CLEVELAND — Cleveland Hyperloop project is one step closing to becoming a reality after the U.S. Senate passed a $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure billthat includes special consideration for hyperloop technology and systems.
Hyperloop Transportation Technologies CEO Andres de Leon called the inclusion in the bill a “landmark moment for the industry as it solidifies the technology into federal law.”
“The bill’s more than $280 billion investment in transportation infrastructure will jumpstart needed repairs, future-proofing and development of critical mobility systems throughout the country. The decision to include traditional and emerging technologies ensures that the United States will have a pioneering role in the development of next-generation transportation technologies," he said in a statement.
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Once passed into law, HyperloopTT will collaborate with public partners to apply for available federal funding to accelerate the project in the Great Lakes region.
A spokesperson for HyperloopTT said the Great Lakes Hyperloop Feasibility study was a key factor in the hyperloop’s inclusion in the infrastructure bill. The study found that a single 470-mile hyperloop route would create more than 36,000 jobs and remove upwards of 1 million cars from the road.
The Hyperloop is now in the planning phase for the environmental impact statement. HyperloopTT will work with regional and local stakeholders to expand the Great Lakes route into the beginning of a national network.
Hyperloop travel involves capsules around 100 feet in length using passive magnetics to levitate in essentially a vacuum tube where they can travel at speeds of up to 700 miles an hour, which actually enables it to generate more energy than it uses — a factor that will eventually offset the estimated construction cost of $50 million a mile.
De Leon said HyperloopTT will continue hosting technical briefings on Capitol Hill, at its Los Angeles headquarters and at the full-scale system in Toulouse in France to keep stakeholders informed about the technical process.
"While a major portion of the increased investment will be spent repairing and maintaining current infrastructure systems, the country’s long-term future relies on the development of sustainable solutions becoming the backbone of transportation infrastructure. The United States has the opportunity to assume a leadership role in the deployment of commercial hyperloop systems globally. As the world looks to achieve sustainable development goals, pioneering emerging hyperloop technologies will create widespread economic opportunities for early adopters," de Leon said in the statement.
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