New Mass Transit Idea Could Revolutionize Baltimore Transportation
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- This mass transit idea is up in the air---literally. Small pods sliding above Baltimore City streets on a thin rail.
Alex DeMetrick reports it's futuristic---but is it realistic?
It's called SkyTran, designed with the privacy of a passenger car while providing mass transit.
"It kind of reminds me of that old cartoon, the Jetsons, you know?" said William Johnson, Baltimore Department of Transportation.
And like the Jetsons, SkyTran pods are seen mostly in animations, although they are in development by NASA and private financing. Each pod holds two passengers and travels by maglev power on monorails. That means no wheels and top speeds of 150 miles per hour.
It's a futuristic fix for an old problem in Baltimore.
"Yeah, it's definitely---the design for it is spectacular. It's something you would never think of and I know this is something the Department of Transportation is seriously considering," said Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake.
This all started when Governor Larry Hogan canceled Baltimore's red line project. Last August, the city took out an ad seeking alternative proposals. SkyTran jumped at it.
"They were the first that responded and they've been very aggressive in coming out and proposing to set up manufacturing facilities and bring a very unique technology to the city," Johnson said.
SkyTran says it can be built for less than light rail, which costs $10 million per mile---but that would be a lot of money for similar ideas that never panned out.
"I know at one time, I think it was under the Shmoke administration, there was the thought of a monorail that would go the same path. The transportation needs have only expanded since then and are getting worse," Rawlings-Blake said.
SkyTran would like Baltimore to be the first city to hop aboard its system---provided Baltimore can afford that ticket to ride.
SkyTran is currently building a small prototype of its system in Israel. Meanwhile, Baltimore is reviewing a number of mass transit options.