Repurpose State Center as a maglev station

Recently, The Baltimore Sun headlined Gov. Larry Hogan’s intention to transfer numerous state agencies and their office workers from the State Center to vacant office space downtown, nixing a long-term project to revitalize the office complex (“Gov. Hogan: State moving thousands of workers to downtown Baltimore office spaces,” April 19). The developer is crying foul, claiming a breach of contract and may be taking legal action. Meanwhile, the most transformative “smart” pro-growth opportunity available to Baltimore languishes in procedural delay: the 300 mile-per-hour Northeast Maglev. State Center offers an opportunity to upgrade the Northeast Maglev’s potential.

How? Virtually every public transit mode that operates in the Baltimore area is accessible from the State Center complex. The Light Rail (Cultural Center) and Metro (State Center) stops there are obvious. Both Amtrak and MARC trains frequent Penn Station, a few blocks away. Numerous bus lines have a “Center” or “Cultural Center” stop.

If State Center could become a maglev station stop, it would provide better integration of the Northeast Maglev with existing, public transportation modalities otherwise not featured by the proposed Baltimore terminus in Camden Yards. This would nullify the argument of some of the maglev critics that the project would only serve the well-to-do and would be out of reach to those who rely on slower, less expensive public transportation.

While some may argue that it’s late in the maglev planning process to propose such a change, one of the arguments made by its proponents is that the maglev technology offers a high degree of flexibility in siting. As the Maglev trains generally operate either below or above grade, a station can be sited and built without unduly disturbing “at grade” land use.

I suggest that if the option of a State Center station has not been explored by the relevant parties, that it should be given full consideration given that its transit connectivity potential will otherwise not be fully utilized. This could provide an alternative to the parties litigation, as the state could remain engaged in an adjusted State Center revitalization, including an otherwise unanticipated federal role, as numerous federal agencies are involved with the Northeast Maglev’s environmental impact study.

In addition to Governor Hogan’s proposed sports venue, it would also provide an opportunity to rebuild Baltimore’s performing arts, as a resident or perhaps a visitor in the vicinity of the District of Columbia (the southern terminus of the proposed maglev line) would be within 30 minutes of an evening performance — after the game, of course!