The developer who wants to build a high-speed train connecting Baltimore and D.C. offered a point-by-point response to concerns raised by Prince George’s County planning officials about his ambitious $12 billion project.
Wayne Rogers, CEO of The Northeast Maglev and Baltimore Washington Rapid Rail, is confident he can allay any concerns and effectively promote his superconducting magnetic levitation train technology — which would take passengers between the two cities in 15 minutes — as an antidote to crippling traffic congestion in the region.
Tunnels for the train dug 80 to 100 feet underground, for example, would be imperceptible to residences and businesses, Rogers said. And plans for two ventilation plant structures are probably raising alarm bells more because of how they’re named than for what they actually do.
Process quirks — more than 30 federal, state and local agencies reviewing his company’s plans — can result in communication gaps, Rogers conceded.