Brief Description: Requesting Congress to consider Washington for magnetic levitation transportation funding.

Sponsors: Representatives Ericksen, Dickerson, Sullivan, Campbell, Nixon, Simpson, G. and Upthegrove.

Hearing Date: 2/5/04

Staff: Jerry Long (786-7306).

Background:

Magnetic levitation (maglev) is an advanced technology in which magnetic force lifts, propels and guides a vehicle over a guideway speeds of 250 to 300 miles per hour. The guideway is the physical structure along which maglev vehicles are levitated. The concept of magnetically levitated trains was first identified around 1900. The maglev technology was largely advanced in Germany and Japan particularly in the 1980s. In December 2003, the Transrapid was completed and began commercial operations in Shanghai which travels 270 miles per hour and the route is nineteen miles long. Little research in the United States was performed until the 1990s when the National Maglev Initiative was established.

To evaluate the potential for maglev to improve intercity transportation and to determine an appropriate role for the federal government, the "Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century" (TEA 21) was passed in 1998, which created a National Magnetic Levitation Technology Deployment Program. Funding consisted of $55 million. The preconstruction planning was to identify a project that would receive up to $950 million in authorizations for final engineering and construction of the guideway of the selected project. Applications were solicited from states or their designated authorities. Seven states received preconstruction planning grants. The U.S. Department of Transportation selected projects in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Baltimore Maryland for additional study. The other five states made available $1 million in federal funds for each of the other five projects in California, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, and Nevada to further develop their plans.

Summary of Bill:

Requests that the United States Department of Transportation consider the State of Washington as a candidate for federal funding for the implementation of magnetic levitation projects.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Not requested.