By Nicole Blanchard

Many Prince George’s County local governments have convened throughout the past month to oppose the construction of a high speed train connecting Washington and Baltimore.

The high-speed train, called the Maglev, will operate using an opposing magnetic field between the train and the rail to propel the Maglev forward along a 40-mile track connecting the two cities.

Many communities have opposed the construction of the Maglev because it is set to cut through several residential, conservation and recreational lands in Prince George’s County.

The city of Greenbelt is one community that would see a drastic change if the Maglev is built.

“It wipes out our forest preserve, one of our baseball fields, our observatory and our community gardens,” said Greenbelt Councilmember and former Mayor Judith Davis.

Communities such as Greenbelt have set aside roughly $500,000 to fund opposition to the train ahead of the period for accepting public comments and critiques closing May 25. College Park has pledged to provide $10,000 to Greenbelt to help with legal fees as local communities attempt to halt the construction of this train.

The Maglev train is projected to start at an underground Washington station and run parallel to the Capital Beltway, alternating between belowground and aboveground tracks with heights reaching 150 feet.

The Maglev will connect Washington to Baltimore in a short 15-minute train ride if approved. 

However, this quick method of transportation will not be a service for everyone, according to Davis. 

“This thing [Maglev] is only going to be for people who can afford it,” said Davis, referencing the price of the tickets.

The Maglev draft environmental impact statement also referred to the project as a “premium service.” In the formal impact statement, it reports tickets are set to cost around $60. 

Many government officials in Prince George’s County communities have said the path of the Maglev reflects a bigger social inequality since many of the communities that the train disrupts will not be able to afford the train ride.

“The fact that it’s going through Prince George’s County is a selfish endeavor, because your average person isn’t going to be able to afford to ride,” College Park Councilmember Maria Mackie said. “The fact that it’s going through Prince George’s County is a big indication of their blatant disregard of people of different ethnicities.”

Dannielle Glaros, the Prince George’s County councilmember representing District 3, also said that the effects of the noise, vibrations and construction of the Maglev will be felt most by minority populations. 

The Maglev Company has pledged to provide hundreds of jobs with the construction of the train, but the College Park City Council meeting on April 13 compared the opportunities the Maglev could provide to alternative option of investment in the current commuter rail transportation system, also known as the Capital Region Rail.

“The same number of jobs that are expected to be generated from the Maglev are also expected if we enhance the commuter rail,” said Glaros.

Glaros said that the Capital Region Rail Vision, or investments in the current transportation system, is “hands down” better for the community.

Glaros also noted that there are “several schools that the [Maglev] alignment either goes under or near along the project pathway.”

The schools which the Maglev will tunnel beneath or near will be subjected to the unknown structural effects of constant vibrations from the train.

Single-family homes and apartment complexes in the Greenbelt community will also feel the effects of constant vibrations as the train can come as close as 14 feet to the surface, according to Glaros.

There are also eight different parks that will be destroyed due to the project, notably the Bladensburg Waterfront Park and Community Center, Cherry Hill Historic Cemetery and Good Luck Estates Park.

Not only does the construction of the Maglev create social and community issues across Prince George’s County, there are many structural problems generated by the train because it disrupts several underground and aboveground water systems, according to Glaros.

“There are a lot of growing concerns we’re hearing about the hydrology,” Glaros said.

Davis raised logistical issues from the train, including noise, boring and vibrations in residential, single-family homes.

“This is it just in this part of the county, all the way up to Laurel there are concerns,” said Glaros.

Environmental effects are a huge concern for city government officials as the Maglev train is set to tear through conservation land, disrupt habitats and require removing 3 million cubic yards of soil that are currently part of the natural ecosystem. 

This project is set to require seven years of intense construction in the county, bringing with it high levels of dust and exhaust.

Featured Image: The College Park City Council discussed on April 13 the potential issues that construction of the Maglev train could pose. Photo courtesy of College Park City Council.