BACKGROUND
C. Social Equity
D. Mental - People’s Fears
Cities being left out. The hyperloop will not be
Danger. Airplane transportation faced a very similar
constructed in a complete network spanning the United States. Instead, routes will be chosen based on economic success and societal needs. Over time, each station will act as a node that new routes can connect to, eventually leading to a complete network. There are four comprehensive feasibility studies in the United States and many more around the world. The first is breaking ground in India this year. There was a global challenge to find the best place to benefit from hyperloop technology. After over 2,600 entries, the field was reduced to 35 potential locations, with each
challenge when starting out, trying to connect with mass-scale users. People feared traveling at very high speeds in a metal tube 1,000’s of feet above the ground. The hyperloop will face those same fears, other than the fear of heights, until the public trusts the technology.
entry enjoying strong support from governments and urban planners. There were ten global winners, with four of those being in the United States. Cheyenne Denver - Pueblo, Chicago - Columbus - Pittsburgh, Miami - Orlando, and Dallas - Laredo - Houston. These will likely be the first routes to be constructed. Racial and Economic Bias. It will be crucial to learn
from historical precedents when planning the routes and to choose where to place stations within a city. Planners and designers will need to study culture, communities, socio-economic interdependencies, etc.. and focus on community engagement. Racial separation lines must be avoided, and lessons from the “White Flight” of the 1950s-60s must be followed.
Terrorism. The hyperloop security will be every bit as
careful as TSA agents at airports but will use more modern methods. This approach should alleviate fears from attacks from within. There is still the potential for external threats, however. The idea to build the tracks between the highway also helps with the ability to self-police any irregular activity, such as placing an explosive on a structural pylon. When the hyperloop is built underground, it will be much better protected from these threats. People will be traveling near supersonic speeds in a closed, vacuum-filled tube. There is a distinct worry that many will have. The lack of any windows on the pods will hide the incredible speeds at which they are traveling, and the interior will be very light-filled. The technology makes the trip completely turbulence-free as well as noiseless. There will be snack and drink options, and a restroom on every pod. Claustrophobia.
Elitism. The hyperloop must learn from the Japanese
bullet train that was designed and built with the intention of allowing people from rural areas to have the opportunity to find better job opportunities in the city. In reality, the price of the train is too great for those living in rural areas, so the majority of riders are wealthy suit-wearing businessmen. The hyperloop will be a joint effort between private and government agencies; the government portion must push for socially equitable pricing options so that riding the hyperloop is not limited to just the wealthy in America.
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