The Hyperloop Hype Machine

Alissa Walker reports the news that Hyperloop One recently released a plan for 11 Hyperloop routes connecting 35 major cities earlier this month.

Vision for America, as the plan is called, "would connect 83 million Americans, including routes linking Los Angeles to San Diego, Dallas to Austin, Texas, and a mega-route serving cities from Cheyenne to Houston," according to Walker. "The routes are the U.S. finalists for a Hyperloop One competition, where teams submitted proposals for the most promising Hyperloop corridors around the world, based on estimated ridership and economic potential."

Hyperloop One’s senior business analyst Rehi Alaganar writes a post to explain the plan, comparing the vision for the Hyperloop to the Interstate Highway System.

Angie Schmitt also wrote on the subject of the Hyperloop this week, noting that the ides has yet to deliver a functional, real-world example of the technology. "Anyone who believes it’s a viable endeavor is basically taking it on faith," writes Schmitt. Yet, Schmitt notes, "a surprising number of government agencies are treating the Hyperloop as a serious proposition." Schmitt's article lists some of the agencies that seem to be buying into the Hyperloop hype before responding directly to some of the talking point that companies like Hyperloop One are relying on to market the idea. Schmitt's final assessment: "America has the means to reduce traffic and connect people to where they want to go in less time — but solving these problems entails politically difficult choices to shift travel away from cars and highways. Any high-tech solution that promises a shortcut around these thorny problems is probably too good to be true."