Funded studies of the hyperloop concept are underway in the Midwest.
"Officials from Virgin Hyperloop One and the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission are in Pittsburgh this week to brief local officials on the progress of plans to send people and freight from Pittsburgh to Chicago in 48 minutes in low-pressure tubes," reports Ed Blazina.
"The planning commission awarded two contracts last month, one to AECOM to study the feasibility of installing a hyperloop to connect the two cities by way of Columbus and the second to WSP USA for a preliminary environmental impact study," adds Blazina. The Mid-Ohio project is one of ten proposed routes moving selected by Virgin Hyperloop One to explore the potential of the technology. It is the only proposed route to launch both feasibility and environmental studies.
According to Dan Katz, the company’s director of global public policy and North American Projects, quoted in the story, Virgin Hyperloop One expects a system in Mumbai to launch the first commercial operation of a hyperloop system, sometime next decade. "But it is important to have other projects ready once the Mumbai system is operational," Katz told Blazina.
The Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission expects the feasibility study to last a year, with the environmental study taking a year. "Once the studies are done, the next step would be to determine the cost — for construction and for travelers — and the availability of funding," according to Blazina. "The commission is convinced the technology will work, but it’s an open question whether it can be delivered at an affordable price for riders."
Not everyone shares the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission's confidence.
FULL STORY: Planners tout Pittsburgh-to Chicago hyperloop to local officials

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths
Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

Adaptive Reuse Will Create Housing in a Suburban Texas Strip Mall
A developer is reimagining a strip mall property as a mixed-use complex with housing and retail.

Study: Anti-Homelessness Laws Don’t Work
Research shows that punitive measures that criminalized unhoused people don’t help reduce homelessness.

In U.S., Urban Gondolas Face Uphill Battle
Cities in Latin America and Europe have embraced aerial transitways — AKA gondolas — as sustainable, convenient urban transport, especially in tricky geographies. American cities have yet to catch up.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
JM Goldson LLC
Custer County Colorado
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Jefferson Parish Government
Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Claremont