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In November, Washington, D.C.'s Department of Transportation granted the Boring Company a permit to excavate at a parking lot within the city:
Washington, D.C., has issued a permit allowing Elon Musk's Boring Company to do preparatory and excavation work in what is now a parking lot north of the National Mall. The company says the site could become a Hyperloop station.
The permit, reported Friday by the Washington Post, was issued way back on November 29th of 2017. The permit is part of an exploratory push by the city's Department of Transportation, which according to a spokesperson is examining the feasibility of digging a Hyperloop network under the city. The Hyperloop is an as-yet theoretical proposal to use depressurized tubes and magnet-levitated pods to move passengers at very high speeds.
From The Washington Post:
Asked about the permit, issued Nov. 29, a Boring Company spokesman said Friday that "a New York Avenue location, if constructed, could become a station" in a broad network of such stops across the new system.
D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) visited the Boring Company in California this month, walking in a tunnel to learn more about the technology the company says will make tunneling faster and cheaper.
The District's Department of Transportation is figuring out what other permits the Boring Company would need to cut under city roads and other public spaces, according to Bowser's chief of staff, John Falcicchio.
Previously: Elon Musk Claims to Have "Verbal Approval" to Build New York to Washington, D.C. Hyperloop
NY-Philly-Baltimore-DC Hyperloop: Not Vaporware?
Related: Hyperloop Pod Competition Winner Exceeds 200mph (324 km/h)
Sir Richard Branson Invests in Hyperloop
Elon Musk's Boring Tunnel Near Los Angeles
Elon Musk's Boring Company Sells Flamethrowers
(Score: 3, Interesting) by fyngyrz on Monday February 19 2018, @01:28AM (15 children)
Washington DC used to be a swamp. It's interesting that they're seriously considering significant underground infrastructure incorporating very high speed transit. Assuming this permit for a parking lot is based on serious intent, rather than just some showmanship.
Is suppose it's better than the crazy idea of putting such tunnels in notoriously earthquake-prone regions.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Arik on Monday February 19 2018, @01:55AM
Seems like a very questionable assumption.
If laughter is the best medicine, who are the best doctors?
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Monday February 19 2018, @02:00AM (3 children)
Washington DC used to be a swamp.
Don't worry, it's being drained...
(Score: 2, Funny) by Sulla on Monday February 19 2018, @02:17AM
Trump literally draining the DC swamp to build a hyperloop technically counts as achieving a campaign promise
Ceterum censeo Sinae esse delendam
(Score: 2, Funny) by Revek on Monday February 19 2018, @02:10PM (1 child)
They were planning on draining the swamp until they realized that scum floats on top.
This page was generated by a Swarm of Roaming Elephants
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday February 20 2018, @08:45PM
So THAT explains his cabinet head choices!
(Score: 5, Informative) by Grishnakh on Monday February 19 2018, @02:09AM
Washington DC used to be a swamp. It's interesting that they're seriously considering significant underground infrastructure incorporating very high speed transit.
Well, the Washington Metro subway system is already built underground, and pretty deep too in some places.
I guess when there's water, you just dig deeper: after all, the Channel Tunnel goes under the English Channel, which is a lot wetter than any swamp. There's tons of tunnels going under rivers, even rather old ones like the Lincoln Tunnel in NYC, which crosses under the Hudson.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by khallow on Monday February 19 2018, @02:11AM (6 children)
What's so crazy about the idea? More relevantly, what's the actual risk?
Suppose a really big earthquake happens? The downside is destruction of the transit system in areas near the fault and some potential loss of life. That's not that big a deal. In exchange, you get years or decades of operation of the Hyperloop. And after the aftershocks settle down, you can rebuild the broken parts of the Hyperloop for decades to centuries more operation.
(Score: 3, Informative) by Arik on Monday February 19 2018, @03:59AM (5 children)
Don't forget removing the corpses.
Being in this thing during a quake would not be anything like being in a building during a quake.
You're moving so fast that the slightest brush with anything and it'll be like a big bomb went off.
Nostrils-scattered-all-around as the Klingon poets put it.
If laughter is the best medicine, who are the best doctors?
(Score: 1) by khallow on Monday February 19 2018, @04:58AM (3 children)
Or not removing them. There's precedent for not removing deeply buried corpses from earthquakes. For example, in the 1957 Hebgen Lake earthquake is thought to have buried 19 people [earthmagazine.org]. Their bodies were never recovered.
It'd likely be safer, unless you happened to be right at the fault zone. Remember they can brake these vehicles hard with the warning that typically would accompany an earthquake as long as they aren't right on top of the zone where the earthquake is happening. For example, at 5 G deceleration, one can stop a 1200 kph vehicle in six seconds (and about 2-3 km stopping distance).
(Score: 2) by Arik on Monday February 19 2018, @05:07AM (2 children)
If laughter is the best medicine, who are the best doctors?
(Score: 2, Interesting) by khallow on Monday February 19 2018, @05:17AM (1 child)
Stop them in the above very tight precision, flood the tube with air, and have the travelers walk to emergency exits. Not that complicated.
(Score: 3, Funny) by Gaaark on Monday February 19 2018, @11:21AM
But...but, it's a loop! A HYPER loop: if people walking out met themselves walking in......
Splosion!
Black hole!!
Mighty high-fives!!!
--- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Monday February 19 2018, @07:35AM
What corpses, dear?
Ah, you meant that red bloody mucus oozing from what remained from a carriage stopped suddenly from a speed of 300 mph by the unyielding force of the rocks that collapsed the tunnel?
Don't worry, nothing a good waterhossing can't do with in a quarter of a hour.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday February 19 2018, @05:17AM
Ahem, Tokyo Metro [tokyometro.jp].
(Score: 2) by PartTimeZombie on Tuesday February 20 2018, @12:15AM
I've been from Leicester Square to Waterloo on the Tube, so I went under the Thames. Wasn't a problem, thousands do it every day.
Your point about earthquake prone areas makes a lot more sense.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday February 19 2018, @03:21AM (9 children)
If they aren't high enough the cost per passenger is going to be a lot higher than for normal light rail which can carry up to 20,000 passengers per hour.
Or is the real end game about public money being used to subsidize a high speed shuttle for rich people and their friends?
(Score: 2) by MostCynical on Monday February 19 2018, @03:29AM (2 children)
If the risk profile means there is no TSA groping on the hyperloop, then the viability is better, as the choice is plane-with-TSA, or hyperloop without.
If the TSA get involved, then it won't be able to compete - rich people will use private helicopters or private planes.
"I guess once you start doubting, there's no end to it." -Batou, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Monday February 19 2018, @07:44AM (1 child)
When push comes to shove, it's easier to down a helicopter than to collapse a tunnel.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 2) by MostCynical on Monday February 19 2018, @08:18AM
ROI for single explosive. If you get lucky, the plane or helicopter hits a building.
If the hyperloop goes pop, thousands could die.
"I guess once you start doubting, there's no end to it." -Batou, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
(Score: 2) by Arik on Monday February 19 2018, @03:57AM (1 child)
If laughter is the best medicine, who are the best doctors?
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Monday February 19 2018, @07:40AM
How many of who exactly?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 2) by Immerman on Monday February 19 2018, @04:56AM (2 children)
Are we talking through a section of rail/tube, or passenger loading/unloading?
Through a section of tube, some rough numbers:
20,000passengers/hour / 10-20 passengers per car = 0.55 to 1.1 seconds between cars = 350 to 175 yards between cars at 700mph. That'd need some pretty fine automated coordination to pull off, but then if you've got demand for that sort of passenger carrying load you could potentially form ad-hoc trains as well, though that would increase peak load concentrations. on the tubes.
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Monday February 19 2018, @09:27AM (1 child)
20000 passengers per hour with 40 passengers per capsule = 500 capsules per hour = 7.2 seconds between capsules = 2.2 km between capsules.
20 passengers per capsule = 1000 capsules per hour = 3.6 seconds between capsules = 1.1km between capsules.
Assume capsule loading time of about 5 minutes you need about 40 to 80 "departure platforms" at a main station to keep up the throughput. Similar for arrival platforms.
The original number was 840 passengers per hour though: http://www.uschyperloop.com/hyperloop/ [uschyperloop.com]
(Score: 2) by Immerman on Monday February 19 2018, @04:40PM
You're right - I have no idea how I got an extra factor of 3.3 in my calculations.
As for the loading platform that's a completely different question - unless all those passengers are coming/going to the same station, there's no need for them to pass through it at all. That's one of the big draws of smaller car sizes, is you can just load everybody from station A heading to station M, and send them there directly, with no need for transfers or other stops along the way. At which point track capacity becomes a question of how well you can coordinate traffic splitting and merging.
(Score: 2) by MichaelDavidCrawford on Monday February 19 2018, @06:58AM
Once you use up all your bus subsidies the only thing you can do is spend your light rail subsidies.
Yes I Have No Bananas. [gofundme.com]
(Score: 2) by frojack on Monday February 19 2018, @05:34AM (4 children)
How deep do you have to go before you leave private, city, and state jurisdictions?
How is it the federal government can offer rights to build underground anywhere outside of DC proper?
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Monday February 19 2018, @07:54AM (3 children)
https://www.gizmodo.com/2014/08/if-you-own-land-how-far-above-and-below-do-you-own/ [gizmodo.com]
Theoretically, there's never a piece of the underground where the ownership ceases.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 2) by chromas on Monday February 19 2018, @08:37AM (1 child)
I get a 404 but I'm picturing a Cone of Ownership™ with the point centered on the Earth's core and extending outward to Infinity and Beyond.
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Monday February 19 2018, @10:20AM
Try this: https://www.gizmodo.com.au/2014/08/if-you-own-land-how-far-above-and-below-do-you-own/ [gizmodo.com.au]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 1) by shrewdsheep on Monday February 19 2018, @08:49AM
As usual, there is some variety of regulations across the world:
https://blogs.loc.gov/law/2013/12/napoleon-bonaparte-and-mining-rights-in-france/ [loc.gov]
(Score: 2) by MichaelDavidCrawford on Monday February 19 2018, @06:56AM (2 children)
Most of that train's time will be spent at stations waiting for passengers to get off or on the train.
Yes I Have No Bananas. [gofundme.com]
(Score: 3, Interesting) by inertnet on Monday February 19 2018, @12:37PM (1 child)
I don't think that would be a problem if you consider a two way system, one tube for A to B, another for B to A.
(Score: 2) by frojack on Monday February 19 2018, @11:14PM
Or out of line loading bays.
All solved problems.
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.