A pod dream

Way back in the 1870s when opium use became common, the term “pipe dream” was coined to describe the hallucinations a person experienced while under the influence. Now, 150 years later, Missourians may soon be considering a “pod dream” perhaps in like fashion.
A blue ribbon panel has just issued a report that proposes a hyperloop to whisk passengers and freight from Kansas City to St. Louis in under 30 minutes.
The vision of futuristic high-speed tube transportation is intoxicating and bold. Passengers or cargo would be transported in a Hyperloop pod and accelerate via electric propulsion in a low-pressure tube. The pod would float above the track using magnetic levitation and glide at speeds in excess of 600 miles per hour.
If built, a system conceived by Tesla’s Elon Musk would vault Missouri into the global epicenter for the research, development and commercialization of tubed transport technology.
The hoopla is already underway. The Kansas City engineering firm of Black & Veatch and Olsson completed an engineering feasibility study, making Missouri the first state to do so. State officials say the Hyperloop could create up to 17,000 new jobs and have an overall economic impact of up to $3.7 billion per year. Supporters say a 15-mile test track could be started as soon as next year.
Where’s Congressman Willard Vandiver (“…I’m from Missouri, and you have to show me”) when you need him?
Before chasing this pod dream, state officials should show us how a hyperloop would not siphon tax dollars away from our existing roads and bridge repairs. Trust is a key question. Voters watched the shell game in budget adjustments involving lottery revenue for schools; voters recently turned down a much-needed tax increase for roadways because it too broadly funded things other than roads.
Logically, a hyperloop system would reduce the number of vehicles on I-70 for safety and lower maintenance. It’s exciting to think of Missouri as a national leader in transportation. The geography, with Columbia a natural halfway stop, is a fit. Definitely, our state could benefit from this bold venture. But it’s too early to jump to any conclusions.
Missouri must conduct more environmental impact studies, additional engineering work, and establish a regulatory framework — and get the funding — before breaking ground on a Hyperloop project. The 15-mile test track, for a mere $300 to $500 million, would take three to five years to build. If successful, then construction on the full commercial route would take another seven to 10 years.
Is it a pipe dream …, er, pod dream, to think a private-public partnership could fund a hyperloop without negatively impacting Missouri’s other transportation needs? Well, as Congressman Vandiver once said ….  but, then again, Charles  “Lucky” Lindbergh navigated the first solo transoceanic flight in his single-engine monoplane, the Spirit of St. Louis, which was funded, in part, with Show-Me tax money.
These are interesting times. Very interesting.