Hyperloop: Cleveland to Chicago in 28 minutes is on track and picking up speed

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) - It’s been more than a year since the unveiling of a futuristic dream called Hyperloop, a tube system that could get you from Cleveland to Chicago in 28 minutes, and the project continues to move forward.

Since then, a $1.2 million feasibility study has been underway through the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency (NOACA), the results of which will be released at the end of August.

“What this means is that we will begin showing several alternative analysis selected for public comment; station locations along the route; and more details about costs, speed and economic impact not only in NE Ohio but the Great Lakes,” Danielle Render said with NOACA.

NOACA and several regional agencies are working with Hyperloop Transportation Technologies (HTT), the company designing the system.

HTT recently unveiled its first full scale test facility, that is up and running in France.

Believing in the project, in June the U.S. House approved $5 million from the 2020 Transportation budget to develop a Hyperloop system.

When initially pitched the numbers were astounding.

A vacuum tube system, using magnets and sunlight to move pods at speeds as high as 700 mph.

Meaning the 313 mile trip from Cleveland to Chicago would take less than a half hour.

The eventual idea would be to connect several Great Lakes area cities like Detroit, Toronto and Pittsburgh.

“The corridor route was initially from Cleveland to Chicago but we have recently added Pittsburgh,” Render said. “NOACA received a $100,000 grant from the RK Mellon Foundation to study the Pittsburgh extension as part of the this corridor route.”

After the feasibility study is released, and public comment comes in, the next phase will be an environmental impact statement (EIS).

There is no official timeline or cost but both issues should be addressed by the feasibility study.

“All great projects take time and this one will be worth the wait,” Render said. “Typically feasibility studies are up to one year, EIS two years, and then construction provided all funding is in place.”

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