Hyperloop: Orlando to Tampa, Central Florida’s Next Transportation First
It is nearly certain that the technology to make Hyperloop transportation a success is quickly coming to reality. What is not certain is where the first commercial connection will be made. That said, Central Florida, a long-time pioneer for transportation innovation, provides a great opportunity for the first Hyperloop.
Central Florida is home to one of the world’s heaviest used monorail systems at Walt Disney World and two international airports (TPA/MCO) featuring pioneering hub-and-spoke designs and automated people movers — of which Tampa International was the first in the world to implement. Central Florida is also home to the Space Coast, where NASA has executed numerous firsts, including the first people to walk on the moon and most recently the SpaceX Falcon 9 booster landing — the first ever reverse rocket landing.
With all of the above innovation and the fact that SpaceX founder, Elon Musk is also the visionary of the Hyperloop concept — why is Florida not already on the short list?
Two competing companies, Hyperloop One and Hyperloop Transportation Technologies are working to bring Musk’s vision to technical reality. However, both companies site regulatory conditions as the largest challenge to bringing Hyperloop to commercial reality as described by The Washington Post’s Brian Fung.
UPDATE 3/28/18: This article from June 2016 was in response to the Hyperloop One Global Challenge. It is being shared again in March 2018 because Hyperloop Transportation Technologies CEO, Dirk Ahlborn is speaking this week in Tampa at the Synapse Innovation Summit. While the Global Challenge deadline detailed below has passed, the points raised for bringing Hyperloop to Central Florida are still very timely. END UPDATE ///
In May 2016 a step towards solving that biggest challenge was announced with the Hyperloop One Global Challenge:
The Hyperloop One Global Challenge is a competition which invites teams anywhere on Earth to put forward a comprehensive commercial, transport, economic, and policy case for their cities, regions, or countries to be considered to host the first hyperloop networks. The Hyperloop One Global Challenge is not an engineering competition: we bring the technology, you tell us how it should be used in your location.
The deadline for submissions is September 15, 2016 — and Central Florida has all the players and motivations for becoming a finalist.
Both the City of Tampa and Orlando have experienced residential growth as more people explore urban living. The world’s first Hyperloop connection would place both urban centers’ high on the desirable list for both young professionals and boomers concerned with mobility — and vanity lists of “top places” to live.
Economic Development Agencies: A long envisioned idea of Central Florida as a “Super Region” would be realized and communities from St Petersburg, through Lakeland to the Space Coast would receive competitive boosts in economic development efforts, helping them leapfrog similar sized cities.
The Florida Legislature made Florida one of the earliest destinations for testing autonomous cars and is continuing put Florida in a Leadership Role for Driverless Cars. A regional Hyperloop connection combined with the state’s friendly reception of self driving vehicles would allow for seamless transportation options on both ends of the corridor.
Transit Agencies: With the world recognition of a Hyperloop corridor, the region’s transit agencies would become innovation generators by working with the private sector to develop last mile and inter-city transportation solutions.
The Center for Urban Transportation Research (CUTR) at the University of South Florida, an internationally recognized resource for policymakers, transportation professionals, and the public would be an exceptional partner for Hyperloop One.
The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT); a big proponent of driverless vehicle technology is already building the needed transit envelop connecting the two cities that could accommodate Hyperloop. By taking a lead to bring Hyperloop to Florida, FDOT would set a precedent that departments around the county could model and follow.
Governor Rick Scott — After killing the high speed rail project to connect Orlando and Tampa the Governor would come out a winner by helping to land the most innovative upgrade to rail ever proposed.
Hillsborough Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO): Currently under fire for a lack of innovation with the county’s Transportation Improvement Plan, the Hillsborough MPO could find opportunities to satisfy both local and regional stakeholders by working collaboratively to bring Hyperloop to Central Florida.
Tampa Bay transportation initiatives like; high speed ferry service from Downtown Tampa to St Petersburg and Bradenton would provide key connectivity; the Tampa Hillsborough Expressway Authority’s connected vehicle contract would likely see expansion; and collaborative projects like Hillsborough Area Regional Transit’s efforts for a seven-county regional fare card system would become logical necessities.
Once the Central Florida corridor is complete, the cities of Miami and Jacksonville would be logical extensions of a Florida system that would eventually expand throughout the Southeast and Eastern Seaboard.
Above are just some of the players that could make the Hyperloop happen in Central Florida. These are the players that define “regulatory conditions” and can overcome political roadblocks to invite innovation. These are the agencies that can bring #HyperloopFlorida to reality.
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