2021 Year in Review

Putting 2021 in the rearview mirror

Here’s to another great year! The year 2021 saw tremendous momentum towards making Maglev a reality in the region.

We have reached many milestones and are honored that we had the opportunity to participate in so many community events where we were able to talk to—and learn from—community members.

Take a look at some of our 2021 achievements.

Draft Environmental Impact Statement Release

In January, the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the project was released, taking us one step closer to bringing the world’s most advanced transportation system to the Northeast Corridor.

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and Maryland Department of Transportation Maryland Transit Administration (MDOT MTA) released the DEIS on January 15. The DEIS evaluates the potential impacts of constructing and operating a high-speed superconducting magnetic levitation system between Washington, D.C. and Baltimore with an intermediate stop at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) Airport, as compared to the status quo option of building more roads to relieve regional congestion. During the DEIS public comment period, thousands of thoughtful comments were received – indicating the excitement and interest around the project.

Large Majority Support for Maglev Project in Prince George’s, Anne Arundel Counties and Baltimore City

Recent polling (here and here) from Lake Research Partners, a leading national public opinion research firm, showed that the Northeast Maglev Project has the support of more than two-thirds of Prince George’s (68%), and Anne Arundel Counties (69%), and Baltimore City (72%) voters. The survey underscores the level of public support for construction and operation of the Northeast Maglev!

Baltimore Leaders Join in Support of the SCMaglev Project

Baltimore city leaders joined together to announce their support for the project over the summer, advocating for Northeast Maglev’s development of a high-speed rail line that would provide exceptional opportunities for underrepresented communities.

Leaders from the Greater Baltimore Chapter of the National Action Network, the Greater Baltimore Black Chamber of Commerce, the Ministers Conference Empowerment Center CDC, and the Baltimore-DC Metro Building and Construction Trades Council voiced support.

We are grateful for their support and look forward to continuing to work with leaders and members of these forward thinking organizations in 2022.

Baltimore Rally in Support of Maglev

Over the summer, Baltimore community and labor leaders and hundreds of residents held a rally advocating for the opportunities that the Northeast Maglev project would bring to the city.

We are grateful to see such overwhelming support and look forward to continuing to work with regional leaders and community members to ensure that the benefits of investment in transportation are realized.

BWRR Announces is Diversity Equity & Inclusion Plan

This year, Baltimore Washington Rapid Rail announced its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Plan for Economic Opportunity in Maryland.

The plan highlights our commitment to deliver billions of dollars of economic benefits to communities of color, women, and their businesses in constructing and operating the $13 billion high-speed train project.

Of the thousands of construction-related jobs and hundreds of permanent jobs the project is estimated to create in Maryland, BWRR has set a baseline hiring 40 percent of the construction workforce and 25 percent of the permanent employees from diverse populations with a preference for hiring within the communities close to the proposed route.  These include abundant opportunities for communities in Prince George’s, Anne Arundel, and Baltimore Counties, and Baltimore City.

In addition, BWRR plans for 25 percent of construction spend to be on government certified Minority Business Enterprises (MBEs) and Women Business Enterprises (WBEs). Once construction is complete and revenue service begins, BWRR will require 25 percent of long-term operating spend to be allocated for MBEs and WBEs.

Northeast Maglev attends Another Successful MACo Event

Each year, the Maryland Association of Counties (MACo) holds its annual summer conference aimed at articulating the needs of local governments. MACo gives local businesses visibility while attracting over 2,500 of Maryland’s county leaders, legislators, state government officials, as well as commercial and non-profit representatives.

Northeast Maglev had the pleasure of attending the Maryland Association of Counties 2021 Summer Conference (MACo) held in Ocean City, Maryland, August 18th – 21st. The team staffed a booth in the exhibit hall to share the project with attendees and detail how we plan to reshape what travel looks like along the Northeast Corridor.

Northeast Maglev Learns with STEAM Students

Recently, members of the Northeast Maglev team had the opportunity to meet with members of the next generations – those who will truly benefit from the project. We met with Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math (S.T.E.A.M.) students and teachers from Old Mill Middle School South, Lockerman Middle School and Concord Elementary to share Northeast Maglev’s story with the younger generations and talk with them about superconducting maglev technology. Some of the students shared visions of using maglev technology to advance the movement of critical freight (like medical equipment) or patients between cities and even built prototypes of their proposed maglev trains. Other students were learning about the methods and practices of engineering by experimenting with magnetic levitation.

We look forward to continuing the conversation with future generations and encouraging youth to enter into S.T.E.A.M careers by learning about this transformative project and the benefits that it will have for future generations.

Northeast Maglev in the Community

In the midst of this global pandemic, our outreach has felt more important than ever.

As students began returning to in-person learning, Northeast Maglev is happy to have been able to provide Baltimore City communities with the tools necessary to expand learning and keep them safe during this school year. We joined leaders from the R.I.C.H. Foundation and the Lakeland Community Association for fun events that brought neighbors together and provided students with everything needed to support their learning. We joined leaders from the RICH Foundation and the Lakeland Community Association to host fun neighborhood events while distributing 500 backpacks to students, filled with tools to help them have a successful academic year.

Many thanks to the teachers, parents and leadership of Cherry Hill Elementary and Middle Schools, who worked with us to coordinate a donation of  3,000 reusable face masks to students, supporting a safe learning environment.

In September we were thrilled to be a sponsor for this year’s Baltimore County African American Cultural Festival. The festival celebrates the rich, thriving culture and traditions of the African American community, bringing together local and national recording artists and entertainers, Black-owned businesses large and small, and civic organizations. Congratulations to the 25 students who received college scholarships at the event! We enjoyed some great music, fantastic food, learned a lot, and had some great conversations about Maglev.

We were honored to continue our partnership with the B&O Railroad Museum to educate families on SCMAGLEV’s state-of-the-art technology that will revolutionize travel on the Northeast Corridor.

Northeast Maglev Spreads Holiday Cheer Across Baltimore

Although the holidays have looked a bit different this year, Northeast Maglev still found a way to spread some holiday joy.

We teamed up with local Baltimore community leaders to provide to those in need this holiday season. Our team members were spotted dropping off donations of blankets and socks to the Grace and Hope Mission in Baltimore, to help provide to those in need this holiday season.

We were excited to also have the opportunity to work alongside leaders from the National Capital Baptist convention (NCBC) to provide holiday gifts bags to our neighbors in DC and Prince George’s County.

This year we sponsored a Christmas tree with Federal Hill Main Street. Visitors to the pedestrian walkway near Cross Street Market could stop and admire our miniature trains while taking a Northeast Maglev pen or Sharpie as a gift!

New Baltimore Team Members

We are excited to have been able to grow our Baltimore headquartered workforce in 2021 as we welcomed three new hires.

What’s Next

All in all, 2021 has proven to be a very busy and successful year for the team here at Northeast Maglev. We look forward to partnering with leaders and community groups in the new year to continue to build excitement for superconducting maglev!

Welcome 2022!

Now more than ever, Northeast Maglev believes that by working together we can do big things for our community. We are looking forward to continuing to partner with community groups throughout the region! Keep track of what we’re up to by following us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.