Do you think Chicago can use a Maglev Airport Express like the one in Shanghai? If we get the Olympics it might be a good investment.

It’ll never happen by 2016 and most likely not by 2050 either.

The US has to change politically enough to actually invest in infrastructure and public transportation. Nothing that has happened in the last 30-40 years would indicate that one would expect anything different from Washington.

It’ll never happen by 2016 and most likely not by 2050 either.

The US has to change politically enough to actually invest in infrastructure and public transportation. Nothing that has happened in the last 30-40 years would indicate that one would expect anything different from Washington.

Which is really, really sad. :ohno: :ohno:

Even though Maglev is cool as hell and I would like it to be considered in some form for PT I think for an airport express it would be unnecessary as there are is already sufficient regular tracks that could provide high speed service if the coordination and sufficient funding was there.

Auto lobbyists + oil lobbyists= Keeping as many cars on the roads as possible.
More invested in PT, infrastructure= less cars on road, less gas purchased.
War + f*cked up priorities + corruption + stupidity= no funds for major civil projects.
We still have the world's strongest economy, the largest budget, but bettering our own country for the people and the environment isn't a priority- the money lobbyists and interest groups give politicians IS.
(Make the world better for few, worse for most).

There needs to be some kind of High Speed Rail that runs to Milwaukee/Mpls that has a stop at O'Hare.

Auto lobbyists + oil lobbyists= Keeping as many cars on the roads as possible.
More invested in PT, infrastructure= less cars on road, less gas purchased.
War + f*cked up priorities + corruption + stupidity= no funds for major civil projects.
We still have the world's strongest economy, the largest budget, but bettering our own country for the people and the environment isn't a priority- the money lobbyists and interest groups give politicians IS.
(Make the world better for few, worse for most).

It goes far beyond just the oil and auto companies; although they are the usual suspects. You have the glass, steel and rubber companies that supply the automakers. To them, add the airlines who were just as instrumental in the political dealing that killed off passenger rail travel in America as was the Detroit. Don't forget the highway construction companies and the unions that supply their labor--combined with Caterpiller and the other manufacturers of road construction equipment.

You can see that in the face of the array of vested special interests that will line up against any serious attempt to build a high speed rail system in this country is doomed to failure lacking a cataclysmic rise in oil prices.

Quite a pipedream. Think about it this way, the former Largest Airport in the world did not have a rapid transportation line till the 1990's. (Midway and the Orange Line), what makes you guys think that a Maglev line will be created just a decade (or 2 when the propose Olympics) after Midway International Airport just recieve a Heavy Rail.

A Maglev to O'Hare probably won't work as the route is too urban for its cost. Maybe Midway and Gary Airport will be more appripoate for its price (more Industrialize).

I don't think you will see a monorail or maglev because it requires few jobs with the offset in costs being up-front additional capital costs. I think they want to use the same tracks as the blue line anyways for the airport express.

If at the very least they should modernize the rail system. The CTA trains are too noisy. I think the tax increase is a good thing, chicago needs it to improve public transport.

Man, if Chi could figure out a way to modernize its public transportation in my lifetime, that would be amazing. Unfortunately, a project of such magnitude (replacing all tracks with maglev/monorail tracks, modernizing stations, adding a circle line) would require probably a decade of work and around $50-100 billion. Short of the Pritzkers and Oprah leaving their estates to the CTA, this is sadly a pipe dream.

If at the very least they should modernize the rail system. The CTA trains are too noisy. I think the tax increase is a good thing, chicago needs it to improve public transport.

The CTA has plans to replace the blue line trains with newer trains that are said to be much less noisy than the existing trains by 2010. Presumably any train planned as an O'Hare expansion will also use quieter train cars.