Maglev key to region's future

By: RODNEY TILK | Thursday, December 29, 2005 7:47 PM PST ∞

San Diego County's civic leaders, consultants and politicians need to provide better solutions to the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority than the proposed recommendation to construct a new commercial airport near Campo or in Imperial County, costing taxpayers billions of dollars.

There needs to be placed on the ballot for next November a measure that would allow the community to weigh in on this issue. It would ask: "Would you support keeping Lindbergh Field in its current location and allow for a public-private partnership to build a maglev high-speed train to link Lindbergh Field to a proposed cross-border terminal in Otay Mesa and to four additional airports located in Orange and Los Angeles counties?" The answer to this question would send a clear message to our congressional delegation to take back to Washington.

Lindbergh Field, an international airport located only two miles from the center of downtown, should be recognized for its unique contribution and value to the community. A world-class facility will require upgrading to handle additional passengers, overnight and express freight, and provide for a new multimodal terminal to allow for the smooth transfer of passengers between connecting trains and their flights.

This project is being supported by Sandor Shapery, a local developer, who has taken an active role in promoting a positive vision for San Diego's future. Mr. Shapery has proposed the San Diego-Los Angeles maglev high-speed train; you can go to http://www.sdlamaglev.org to view a video explaining the project and for additional information.

If adopted, Mr. Shapery's proposal would link the proposed Tijuana International Cross-border Terminal with stops at the 10th Avenue Marine Terminal and Lindbergh Field, with additional stops at the Del Mar Fairgrounds and at the Oceanside-Sprinter rail stop for local commuters.

Passengers continuing to Orange and Los Angeles counties would be riding on a cushion of air, along an elevated guideway, at speeds of up to 310 miles per hour. The maglev high-speed train would provide travelers with seamless connections among four additional Southern California airports including John Wayne Airport, Long Beach Airport, Los Angeles International Airport and Ontario Airport.

The creation of a maglev, high-speed train would connect five airports in the region all within an hour of Lindbergh Field. Passengers onboard the maglev would travel in a secure and safe environment, having already passed through airport security, their luggage handled by the airport's baggage-handling system. This would allow airlines to better balance flight scheduling at our regional airports, which would allow for shorter airport check-in times and better on-time performance by the airlines.

The maglev high-speed trains would provide regular connections between San Diego and Los Angeles. With environmental compatibility in mind, this fully integrated transportation system would be vastly safer, more efficient and quieter at moving people and freight, resulting in decreased freeway and airline traffic and reduced dependence on fossil fuels, saving us millions of gallons of fuel each year.

Rodney Tilk lives in San Diego.

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