Raleigh Durham Hyperloop

‘Hyperloop’ was Elon Musk’s response to the CA HSR project, with a ‘batmobile’ mag-lev sled in a partially evacuated tube. It’s generated a lot of interest, largely at the municipal level, and near-universal derision from transit planners.

The idea that it could be used to provide service from Raleigh to Durham is, frankly, idiotic.

Hyperloop made sense in California, bridging the 383 mile distance between San Francisco to LA, where it offered a massive speed advantage over driving (6 hours vs. 2). But the distance between Raleigh and Durham is 29 miles, and a 29 minute drive. Ergo, an asinine application of a high-speed mode, and an unwelcome distraction from getting real (feasible) transit built. Reflecting a alarming incompetence on the part of the Research Triangle Regional Partnership with regard to transit.