Hyperloop On The Hill
WASHINGTON D.C., – Virgin Hyperloop One (VHO), the only hyperloop company in the world to successfully test its technology at scale, was on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C. to showcase its industry-leading technology to members of Congress and federal stakeholders at its event “Hyperloop On The Hill,” as the company continues to broaden support of its revolutionary transportation technology.
Building off of the momentum of U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao’s newly-formed Non-Traditional and Emerging Transportation Technology (NETT) Council to support new and innovative transportation projects like hyperloops and self-driving cars, Virgin Hyperloop One’s “Hyperloop on the Hill” event offered an inside look at current U.S. developments, including in Ohio, Missouri, Nevada and Texas, and provided an update on making these projects a reality.
The vision of the NETT Council is to develop and establish department-wide processes, solutions, and best practices to identify and manage non-traditional and emerging transportation technologies and projects, to provide assistance to local and state governments, and to conduct research to better understand the safety and regulatory needs of these technologies. In May, House Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman Peter DeFazio (D-OR) toured VHO’s full-scale test track outside of Las Vegas, adding him to the list of local and state officials who have showed interest in Virgin Hyperloop One’s technology.
“We are seeing growing interest and excitement in the hyperloop vision from across the United States at both local and federal level,” said Sir Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin Group. “I believe we could see a hyperloop in the U.S. in years, not decades.”
“It is time to seize the opportunity that hyperloop technology presents to bring people and economies closer together through more efficient, affordable, and seamless travel,” said Jay Walder, CEO of Virgin Hyperloop One. “We are now seeing the groundswell of support that’s needed to realize the hyperloop revolution with the formation of the NETT Council and support from lawmakers across the country. As hyperloop moves toward reality it’s becoming clear that it will not only transform how we travel but also create an entirely new industry with thousands of new jobs for Americans.”
U.S. Project Updates
Representatives at the state level also participated in the event to give their support for the technology.
Texas: The Dallas-Fort Worth Regional Transportation Council has launched a hyperloop feasibility study of a Fort Worth to Laredo route and an environmental impact study along a Dallas to Fort Worth corridor
Midwest: The Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission is conducting a feasibility study of hyperloop technology along a Chicago-Columbus-Pittsburgh corridor, followed by components of an environmental impact statement along the same route
Missouri: The Missouri Hyperloop Coalition has released results from the first hyperloop feasibility study in the U.S. which confirmed the viability of a St. Louis to Kansas City route
Nevada: DevLoop, Nevada’s hyperloop test site, continues as an active test site
“As a transportation technology innovator, we embrace non-traditional and emerging transportation technology in the Dallas Fort Worth region and are excited to participate in this event,” said Michael Morris, P.E., Director of Transportation for the North Central Texas Council of Governments.
“Our region is at the forefront of new mobility technology with the smart city efforts of Smart Columbus, building and testing transportation technology, and planning a hyperloop corridor,” said William Murdock, executive director of the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC). “By working even more closely with our federal partners to implement emerging technologies like hyperloop, the Midwest Connect Corridor could knit together a megaregion from Chicago to Columbus to Pittsburgh. Doing so could improve the corridor’s global competitiveness, workforce opportunities, and quality of life for all three metro areas. That’s why we are excited for the NETT Council to develop and extend this smart transportation vision nationally.”
“From releasing results on the first hyperloop feasibility study in the U.S., to launching a Blue Ribbon Panel to explore a hyperloop funding mechanism, Missouri is building upon its legacy as a transportation innovator,” said Andrew Smith, Co-Chairman of the Missouri Hyperloop Coalition, and Vice Chair of the Missouri Hyperloop Blue Ribbon Panel. Missouri’s hyperloop initiative is led by a broad public-private coalition including the Department of Economic Development, MoDOT, the St. Louis Chamber of Commerce, the KC Tech Council, and the University of Missouri system. With the federal government’s help, we can take the next transportation leap and build the future here and now.”
“We have long stated that technology is the new asphalt that will build the infrastructure to empower the transportation systems of the future, like hyperloop,” said Tina Quigley, CEO of the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada (RTC).“As the birthplace of DevLoop, the world’s first full-scale hyperloop test track, Las Vegas offers a business-friendly environment and the opportunity to forge strong, bipartisan, multijurisdictional partnerships. These relationships are vital to developing innovative technologies that will ultimately improve transportation in an ever-changing and evolving world.”
