Whoa, Not So Fast on the ‘Maglev’ Issue

* We must clarify a few of the assertions made in “ ‘Maglev’ and L.A.’s Needs May Be on Opposite Poles,” [James Flanigan on Southern California, Oct. 4].

Though we commend Mr. Flanigan for recognizing the need to examine innovative, high-speed alternatives to address Southern California’s acute transportation challenges, there are several key issues that were misrepresented in the column.

The article incorrectly claims that the Southern California “maglev” [magnetic-levitation rail system] proposal currently being considered for additional federal funding would require $4 billion in local bond financing to undertake construction.

In fact, one of the things that make this maglev proposal unique is that construction can be paid for through a public and private partnership involving federal grants, innovative federal loan programs and private financing.

And with a system connecting Southern California’s major population centers and serving up to 118,000 daily passengers by 2020, maglev will produce more than enough fare revenue to provide a return on private and public capital investments.

The article also asserts that the funds available under the federal maglev program should be used to study a variety of transportation alternatives. In fact, a wide array of transportation alternatives is being studied by local agencies, including light rail in Orange County and in East Los Angeles and Rapid buses in the San Fernando Valley and elsewhere.

The maglev study is focused on intra-regional travel and not the urban-center travel that is currently served by buses and urban rail systems.

Federal funding for this study, and ultimately for constructing the nation’s first high-speed maglev transportation system, is designated specifically for that purpose and not for lower-speed rail or other transit alternatives.

Among the federal program’s requirements is that the proposed system be capable of traveling at speeds of up to 240 miles per hour, which only high-speed maglev can achieve as it leaves the region’s urban core.

RONALD BATES

Councilman, City of Los Alamitos

President, Southern California

Assn. of Governments

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